Illinois State Police Investigating Fatal Shooting of Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez by ICE Agents in Franklin Park
The first independent review of federal agents’ actions in Operation Midway Blitz follows calls for transparency after the death of Silverio Villegas-González.
- Illinois State Police launched an investigation into the September 12, 2025, fatal shooting of 38-year-old Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Franklin Park, following a request from local police.
- The shooting occurred during Operation Midway Blitz, a federal deportation campaign last year where agents claimed Villegas-Gonzalez attempted to evade arrest by driving toward them, prompting the officer to fire.
- Department of Homeland Security officials initially claimed the officer was "dragged a significant distance" and suffered severe injuries, but body camera footage shows the agent describing his injuries as "nothing major."
- Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke confirmed her office will play a "supportive role" in the investigation, stating she cannot initiate charges without a formal referral from a law enforcement agency.
- This ISP probe represents the first independent inquiry into federal agent conduct during the two-month-long crackdown, an effort supported by Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats who previously urged accountability for "dangerous operations.
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Capitol Fa - Your Illinois News Radar » State’s attorney says she will ‘play a supportive role’ in ISP investigation of Silverio Villegas González’s killing by ICE officerCapitolFax.com
* Tribune last week… A state commission scrutinizing the Chicago-area immigration crackdown this past fall sent its findings to law enforcement Tuesday, with some members and Gov. JB Pritzker pushing for investigations they said could lead to criminal charges against federal agents involved in violent episodes during the notorious Operation Midway Blitz raids. Since the 64-day crackdown, [...]
Illinois State Police will investigate fatal shooting by DHS in Franklin Park
FRANKLIN PARK, Ill. (WGN) — Nearly eight months after an immigration agent shot and killed Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park, there's still silence from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about what should be a fairly routine use-of-force investigation. Now, the Illinois State Police (ISP) will attempt to answer questions about the deadly shooting. [...]
Illinois State Police Launch Investigation Into Killing of Silverio Villegas González by Federal Immigration Agents – WTTW (Chicago)
An investigation into the fatal shooting of Silverio Villegas González, who was killed by federal immigration agents during a traffic stop in Franklin Park early on in “Operation Midway Blitz,” is underway after the Franklin Park Police Department asked the state police’s Public Integrity Task Force to investigate. “When complete, the case will be turned over to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office,” a spokesperson said.
The Illinois State Police has opened an investigation into the death of Silverio Villegas-González, a 38-year-old Mexican man killed by a federal immigration agent in Franklin Park in September 2025, a case that was surrounded by contradictory and critical versions of the use of force from the outset.
Illinois State Police Launch Investigation Into Killing of Silverio Villegas González by Federal Immigration Agents
An ISP spokesperson confirmed an “initial investigation” is underway after the Franklin Park Police Department asked the state police’s Public Integrity Task Force to investigate Villegas Gonzalez’s death.
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