Dayanne Figueroa wasn’t doing anything unusual that morning — just grabbing coffee before work. But within minutes, her routine commute turned into a terrifying encounter with armed federal agents on a quiet street in Chicago’s West Town.
Witnesses say the scene was already tense. On the 1600 block of West Hubbard Street, federal immigration agents — masked and heavily armed — were arresting several landscaping workers believed to be undocumented. People shouted. Car horns blared, a signal neighbors use to warn others that ICE is nearby.
As Figueroa tried to drive through the block on Friday, Oct. 10, an unmarked vehicle driven by federal agents suddenly slammed into her SUV. Videos posted online show the agents’ car speeding away from a growing crowd before crashing into Figueroa’s vehicle. Seconds later, agents jumped out with guns drawn.
They didn’t identify themselves, show a warrant, or tell her she was under arrest. Instead, they yanked the 28-year-old U.S. citizen from her car by her legs and dragged her onto the street. Bystanders screamed, “You hit her! We have it on video!” But the agents ignored them, shoving Figueroa into a red minivan and speeding off.
Her car was left abandoned in the middle of the road, coffee still in the cup holder, keys in plain view.
Hours later, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement blaming Figueroa, saying “she crashed into an unmarked government vehicle and violently resisted arrest, injuring two officers.”
But she was released a few hours later — without any charges.
The case has since fueled public outrage over what many describe as unchecked aggression by federal immigration agents operating in Chicago neighborhoods. ICE operations in the city have drawn growing scrutiny for years, with residents and civil rights groups accusing agents of using excessive force and targeting bystanders.
Recent incidents include agents deploying tear gas in residential areas and arresting people who were simply filming enforcement actions. Yet despite these high-profile arrests, many people are later released without charges — just like Figueroa.
“I was in shock and terrified,” Figueroa told the Chicago Tribune. “The video evidence is clear: Agents crashed into me. I was not involved in any protest or related activity, and I intend to seek justice for how I was treated.”
According to Figueroa, she was moved between multiple undisclosed locations after being detained and was denied contact with her family or legal counsel. For hours, her family had no idea where she was.
Her mother, Teresita Figueroa, said she only discovered what happened after recognizing her daughter in a video circulating online. Using an iPhone location ping, the family traced Dayanne to the ICE processing center in Broadview.
“I was extremely worried because I know ICE agents are heartless and reckless,” Teresita said. “They had just killed a man in Franklin Park. I worried that they could hurt my daughter. Those hours (looking for her) were agonizing.”
Figueroa had recently undergone kidney surgery, and her mother said she was horrified by footage showing agents pulling her out of her vehicle and throwing her to the ground.
When Figueroa was finally released around 4 p.m., her mother picked her up from an ambulance in a Lombard parking lot. “She was very injured, in shock, and bleeding from her surgery,” Teresita said. They immediately took her to the hospital.
Witness Daniel Hogan, who recorded the collision, said the agents’ version of events doesn’t match what he saw.
“Of course she resisted,” Hogan said. “She did nothing wrong. They never told her why they were taking her. They came at her with guns. She was scared.”
Chicago police confirmed they responded to a crash involving Figueroa’s vehicle and took a report, but offered few details. According to CPD, Figueroa said her car was sideswiped by a Jeep she tried to pass, and no injuries were reported at the time.
DHS officials, however, continue to defend the agents’ actions. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed Figueroa “used her vehicle to block in agents, honking her horn,” and “struck an unmarked government vehicle” as they were leaving the scene. McLaughlin said agents feared for public safety and that Figueroa “violently resisted, kicking two agents and causing injuries.”
Yet, in the videos reviewed by the Tribune, none of the agents appear injured. DHS and CBP declined to say whether the footage was reviewed before McLaughlin’s statement was issued.
McLaughlin went further, calling the incident part of a “growing and dangerous trend of illegal aliens violently resisting arrest and agitators and criminals ramming cars into our law enforcement officers.”
That statement — lumping a U.S. citizen in with “illegal aliens” — only added fuel to the fire.
For Figueroa, the experience has left lasting physical and emotional scars. She’s now working with attorneys to pursue legal action against the agency and the agents involved.
“I was just on my way to work,” she said. “They hit me, they pointed guns at me, and they took me without cause. I’m not letting that go.”
Watch the video below:
Look at this crazy scene in Chicago….Masked ICE Nazis agents crash into a woman and then they violently drag her out of her car and kidnap her for hours and then eventually releasing her because she didn’t do anything wrong….the lawsuit will be sweet!
pic.twitter.com/VnMCsIPZRo— Lucas Sanders 💙🗳️🌊💪🌈🚺🟧 (@LucasSa56947288) November 3, 2025
