The family of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, a Mexican national fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in the Chicago area in September 2025, has filed a claim for compensation, alleging the shooting was unlawful and preventable. The claim, submitted on Thursday, seeks damages and requires the federal government to respond within six months before a lawsuit can be formally filed.
Villegas Gonzalez, 38, had lived in the U.S. for 18 years and was a line cook. He was shot by an ICE agent during "Operation Midway Blitz," an immigration enforcement operation under the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initially stated that the agent acted in self-defense after being dragged by Villegas Gonzalez's vehicle. However, a coroner's report determined that Villegas Gonzalez was shot from behind at close range.
Attorneys for the family stated in the claim that the shooting was "horrific, unlawful and wholly preventable." Jonathan Manes, an attorney for the family, indicated that they intend to seek a substantial amount of damages in court if the government does not settle. He expressed skepticism about the government's willingness to settle, given their initial justifications for the shooting.
According to the claim, Villegas Gonzalez had just dropped off his two young sons at school and daycare on the morning of the incident. ICE agents allegedly pulled their Jeep in front of his car as he was leaving. Surveillance video captured the sound of gunshots as one agent pursued Villegas Gonzalez's vehicle, which subsequently crashed into a parked delivery truck. The truck driver called 911, and Villegas Gonzalez was pronounced dead at a hospital approximately one hour later.
The medical examiner found that Villegas Gonzalez was shot downward through the back of his neck. Attorneys argued that the ICE officer was standing alongside the driver's side of the vehicle when the fatal shot was fired, describing it as an "execution at close range."
DHS initially released a statement asserting that Villegas Gonzalez was in the U.S. illegally and had dragged the agent while attempting to flee, claiming the agent feared for his life. However, police body-worn camera footage obtained by the Associated Press previously showed the responding officer noting that the agent's injuries were "nothing major."
Attorneys for the family contend that the agent was not in the path of the vehicle and voluntarily held onto the window frames. The claim also noted that Villegas Gonzalez had no criminal record, with only minor traffic violations.
DHS has not publicly identified the agent involved, and neither of the ICE agents present were wearing body-worn cameras during the shooting. The department has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the claim.
The family's action follows a similar lawsuit filed by lawyers on behalf of Marimar Martinez, who was shot five times by an immigration agent in Chicago less than a month after Villegas Gonzalez's death. An independent analysis of Martinez's shooting also found that the agent fired from behind, contradicting the agent's account of fearing for his life and that Martinez was attempting to drive into him. Villegas Gonzalez and Martinez are among an increasing number of individuals shot by federal agents during immigration enforcement operations nationwide, with DHS often characterizing such incidents as acts of self-defense against individuals using their vehicles as weapons.