Elected Officials Call on Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neil Burke to investigate the fatal shooting of Silverio Villegas González and the near fatal shooting of Marimar Martínez

CHICAGO, IL — We are calling on the Cook County State’s Attorney to join the growing number of prosecutors who have announced that they will investigate and prosecute federal law enforcement officers who violate state and local laws.

This unprecedented moment calls for every elected and appointed leader in Illinois, including our law enforcement officials, to take immediate action to protect our residents from lethal harm.

In the last month alone, we have seen federal agents use lethal force against Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti and the calls for justice have grown. In response, 9 prosecutors from around the country, including the elected prosecutor in Minneapolis, have announced the formation of a coalition of prosecutors willing to charge federal agents accused of wrongdoing. Elected prosecutors who have already joined the coalition to Fight Against Federal Overreach (FAFO) include Austin; Dallas; Pima County (Tucson) in Arizona, Philadelphia, Hennepin (Minneapolis) and prosecutors from several cities include Virginia: Fairfax, Falls Church and Arlington, Portsmouth and Norfolk. In addition the top prosecutor in Ramsey County, which includes St. Paul, said his office is investigating reports of crimes by federal agents and the San Francisco District Attorney said he would do the same. Most recently Lake County State’s Attorney Eric F. Rineheart published a letter regarding his willingness to prosecute federal agents for clear violations of state law.

In Cook County, we should expect no less from our law enforcement officials. We demand a full investigation, and, if warranted by evidence, a prosecution in the fatal shooting of Silverio Villegas González, a 38-year-old father of two children, and the near fatal shooting of Marimar Martínez, a 30-year-old teaching assistant. The circumstances of these tragedies are eerily similar to the shootings in Minnesota: DHS claims self-defense, lies about facts, creates false narratives about the victims and blames them for their own injuries and deaths. Meanwhile, the victim’s families and communities are left without answers and accountability. Today, we join those family members, advocates, and civil rights groups in demanding that these deaths not go unanswered.

It is imperative that State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke immediately work with local law enforcement to investigate the circumstances and seek to preserve evidence related to the shootings of Villegas González and Martínez. Federal agents do not have absolute immunity to enforce federal immigration law using lethal force. They do not have the right to gun down people in the street as a judge, jury and executioner. We will not tolerate the notion that accountability for these deaths is being left in the
hands of the FBI, a sister agency of DHS, who has lied time and time again to the American people.

We are heartened that the Mayor of Chicago has issued an Executive Order ordering Chicago police personnel who observe or receive reports of apparent violations of state or local law by federal agents to preserve evidence of the incident and make referrals of felony matters to the Cook County State’s Attorney as they would in any other case.

We affirm the constitutional rights of all residents, including due process for all residents of Illinois, First Amendment freedom of speech, and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable seizure and search, and we strongly condemn any enforcement action that violates those rights.

The people of Illinois, especially immigrant and working-class families in our county and state, have the right to live free from fear of being violently taken from their homes, cars, or streets. If an individual kills or maims an individual, they must be held accountable under Illinois law. We urge local and state law enforcement agencies to uphold their duty to protect our residents and ensure that no one operates above the law in our communities.