FRANKLIN PARK, Ill. — Federal authorities have identified the man fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Franklin Park after allegedly dragging the officer with his car during a traffic stop.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that the man killed was Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, described as an undocumented immigrant with a prior criminal history of reckless driving.

The incident unfolded Friday near 25th and Grand avenues in the west Chicago suburb, where ICE officers were conducting what officials called a "targeted law enforcement activity."

According to ICE, Villegas-Gonzalez resisted arrest during a vehicle stop and attempted to accelerate his car into the arrest team. In the process, he struck and dragged an ICE officer. The officer, suffering severe injuries, discharged his firearm, fatally striking the driver.

Villegas-Gonzalez was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The injured officer is now in stable condition, ICE confirmed.

Scene and investigation

Video from the scene showed a silver car, believed to have been driven by Villegas-Gonzalez, pinned against the side of a truck. Federal and local law enforcement maintained a heavy presence in the area throughout the afternoon as the vehicle was removed and the site processed.

The fatal encounter comes amid a recent uptick in ICE operations in the Chicago area, with nearly 300 federal agents currently stationed just north of the city.

Community reaction

The incident has sparked outrage and concern among immigrant rights advocates.

“Today, we don’t feel safe. For a long time, we don’t feel safe anymore,” said Marien Casillas Pabellon of the PASO West Suburban Action Project. “There is no reason why you are on the street, somebody stops you, and you are losing your life for it. We are not going to live in the shadows anymore. ICE needs to get out.”

Others echoed the sentiment, criticizing the escalation of federal enforcement actions.

“The Trump deportation machine is out of control, operating with no transparency and accountability, and leading to senseless harm to our communities,” said Laurence Benito with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

Political response

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called for transparency, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “I am aware of the troubling incident that has unfolded in Franklin Park. This is a developing situation, and the people of Illinois deserve a full, factual accounting of what’s happened today.”

Unanswered questions

It remains unclear when Villegas-Gonzalez entered the United States. ICE has not provided further details about the specific enforcement operation that led to Friday’s deadly confrontation.

The investigation is ongoing, with DHS promising a full review of the officer-involved shooting.