Quick Read
- A recently released body camera video from an October 2025 ICE shooting in Chicago contradicts DHS’s initial narrative.
- The video suggests federal agents initiated contact before firing at U.S. citizen Marimar Martinez, whose charges were later dismissed.
- Federal immigration officers have shot 13 people since September 2025, resulting in four deaths, including two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January 2026.
- The tactic of firing into moving vehicles is common in these incidents, drawing criticism from policing experts.
- DHS defends its officers, citing increased danger and vehicles being used as weapons, but public reports on internal investigations are lacking.
MINNEAPOLIS (Azat TV) – A recently unearthed body camera video from an October 2025 ICE shooting in Chicago has directly contradicted the Department of Homeland Security’s initial narrative, reigniting public scrutiny and intensifying protests against federal immigration enforcement operations across the United States. The footage, made public in early 2026, involving U.S. citizen Marimar Martinez, has shifted the public conversation from the sheer volume of federal agent shootings to specific questions of officer conduct and accountability.
The video’s release comes amid a period of heightened tension, with federal immigration officers having shot 13 people since September 2025, resulting in four fatalities. This pattern of force, particularly the controversial tactic of firing into moving vehicles, has drawn sharp criticism from policing experts and civil rights advocates. The renewed focus on the Chicago incident underscores a growing demand for transparency regarding the use of deadly force by federal agents.
The Chicago Video Controversy
The October 4, 2025, incident in Chicago involved Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent Charles Exum firing five shots at Marimar Martinez, 30, a U.S. citizen, whom federal officials initially claimed intentionally struck an agent’s vehicle and worked with another driver to box in the agents’ car. Martinez was treated for gunshot wounds and arrested on charges of impeding law enforcement, though these charges were later dismissed by a judge.
Four months after the shooting, in February 2026, a judge permitted body camera video from one of the agents to be made public. The footage, showing the moments leading up to and after the shooting from inside Exum’s vehicle, captured an agent saying, “It’s time to get aggressive and get the f— out, because they’re trying to box us in.” Another agent added, “we’re going to make contact.” The video then shows Exum quickly turning the steering wheel sharply to the left, followed by an apparent jolt from a collision. Exum exited the vehicle, and five gunshots were heard off-camera. Martinez’s lawyer, Christopher Parente, made the video public to challenge the federal government’s “false claims” that his client rammed the agents, arguing the footage suggests the agents initiated contact. Martinez is now pursuing a lawsuit.
A Pattern of Force and Fatalities in Federal Operations
The Chicago shooting is one of 13 incidents since September 2025 where federal immigration officers have used deadly force, leading to four deaths. These operations, part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to crack down on immigrants, have deployed thousands of officers nationwide, leading to numerous confrontations with both undocumented immigrants and protesting citizens. Notable fatal incidents include the January 24, 2026, shooting of Alex Pretti, 37, and the January 7, 2026, shooting of Renee Good, 37, both U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. In Good’s case, an ICE officer fired three times, striking her in the chest and head, after she briefly reversed and moved forward, turning her SUV away from officers, according to bystander and agent cellphone video.
A common thread in seven of these cases is officers firing into moving vehicles, a tactic that policing experts have long sought to curtail due to the inherent dangers. Jim Bueermann, former police chief and head of the Future Policing Institute, noted that these shootings are “not one-offs” but a “pattern and practice” in immigration law enforcement. Chris Burbank, a former Salt Lake City police chief, expressed concern over the repeated instances of federal officers firing on drivers, highlighting that many police departments have adopted guidelines since the 1990s to prevent such shootings, including policies discouraging officers from positioning themselves in front of or behind vehicles. The Department of Homeland Security’s own policy prohibits firing at moving vehicles unless there is a “reasonable belief” of imminent threat, yet questions remain about officer training and adherence.
DHS Defense and Accountability Questions
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin has vigorously defended the officers’ actions, stating that the pattern is “NOT of law enforcement using deadly force. It’s a pattern of vehicles being used as weapons by violent agitators to attack our law enforcement.” McLaughlin asserted that officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and use the “minimum amount of force necessary.” DHS maintains that in each case, officers believed their lives were in danger, and in several incidents, officers were injured.
Despite DHS’s assurances, transparency regarding investigations remains a significant concern. It is not clear how many of the shootings federal authorities have fully investigated, and no public reports of findings, justification for gunfire, or officer discipline have been released. In at least six cases, individuals shot by agents were charged with crimes, with charges later dismissed in three of those instances, including Marimar Martinez’s case. The FBI is reviewing some encounters, but its investigations are not publicly discussed. This lack of public accountability fuels skepticism among legal experts and the public.
Escalating Protests and Public Scrutiny
The recent video revelations and the ongoing pattern of shootings have significantly escalated protests against federal immigration operations, particularly in areas like Minneapolis, which saw a federal surge and subsequent community skepticism, as reported by MPR News. Protesters and civil rights groups are increasingly demanding greater oversight and accountability for federal agents. The focus has sharpened on the specifics of each incident, with the video evidence directly challenging official narratives and intensifying calls for independent investigations and policy reforms. Marimar Martinez’s lawsuit and the Oregon Attorney General’s investigation into another January 2026 shooting further demonstrate the growing legal and public challenges to DHS’s conduct.
The newly public video from Chicago represents a critical turning point, shifting the narrative from a generalized concern about immigration enforcement to a pointed examination of individual officer actions and the veracity of official statements. This development forces a more direct confrontation with the discrepancies between federal agency claims and on-the-ground realities, amplifying demands for robust accountability mechanisms.