Congresswoman Ramirez, Northwest Side Public Officials Joint Statement on the Death of Immigrant in Franklin Park

Chicago, IL - Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez, State Senator Graciela Guzmán, State Senator Omar Aquino, State Senator Karina Villa, State Representative Lilian Jiménez, Alderperson Jessie Fuentes, Alderman Anthony Quezada, Alderperson Rossana Rodríguez-Sánchez and Commissioner Jessica Vásquezreleased the following statement after Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, 38, was killed by an ICE agent at a traffic stop in Franklin Park. The violent event occurred in front of a school, leaving the community shaken.

"Today, our communities in Franklin Park witnessed the inevitable violence resulting from the Trump Administration's unconstitutional, unlawful, unaccountable actions. We are outraged that near a school, during drop-off, the Department of Homeland Security created a violent spectacle that resulted in the death of Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez. What happened today is not an isolated incident; it is the consequence of Trump's anti-immigrant agenda, ICE's pattern of racial profiling, and their unlawful policing in our communities.

We have long warned that the militarized tactics used by DHS and the deployment of ICE agents, with no transparency or oversight, undermine the rule of law and create fear and chaos in our communities. Men in masks, arrests without valid warrants, and no certainty of due process are all tactics that strip our communities of safety and dignity and put our community in harm's way.

While the investigation is ongoing, we know that a traffic violation should never amount to a death sentence. We demand a full and thorough investigation into what happened today. DHS is not above the law. They should immediately release all body camera footage, warrants, and relevant information on this case. Our community deserves answers and accountability, not the scapegoating of our most vulnerable.

Instead of taking responsibility, DHS chose to attack local rapid response teams-community members who work every day to protect their neighbors-rather than acknowledge ICE's dangerous and unlawful actions. That is unacceptable. We stand in solidarity with our communities, and we demand an end to unconstitutional attacks that endanger all communities, especially immigrant communities, across Illinois."