A shocking revelation in federal court has turned up the heat on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as new body camera footage appears to contradict the official story behind a recent shooting involving a Border Patrol agent and an anti-ICE protester in Chicago. Critics are now accusing DHS of lying to protect one of its own—and the footage, according to those who’ve seen it, is damning.
Christopher Parente, attorney for 24-year-old Marimar Martinez, described the moment his client was shot multiple times during a traffic stop in Chicago’s Brighton Park. According to Parente, body cam footage shows a Border Patrol agent saying to Martinez, “Do something, b—-h,” before pulling over and unloading at least five shots into her vehicle.
That one line—not denied by federal prosecutors in court—has ignited a firestorm.
“It really makes it sound like this Border Patrol agent tried to murder an anti-ICE protester in Chicago and DHS lied to cover for him,” said one researcher and podcaster who’s been tracking federal raids in the city.
Martinez was charged with felony assault of a federal officer, along with another driver, Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz. Prosecutors claim the two were part of a convoy that drove “aggressively” toward agents shortly after a DHS operation in nearby Oak Lawn.
But according to court documents and surveillance footage from a nearby tire shop, Martinez’s Nissan Rogue simply pulled up alongside a Chevy Tahoe carrying Border Patrol agents, followed closely by Ruiz in a GMC Envoy. There’s no sign of aggression in the video—just positioning. The shooting itself isn’t captured on that camera, but what was caught on body cam tells a far different story than the one laid out by DHS.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Department initially issued a statement suggesting a “loaded firearm” was found in Martinez’s car—implying an immediate threat to officers. But that detail didn’t appear in the criminal charges filed against her. In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Hennessy admitted that while there was a gun in the car, Martinez never brandished it. Parente pointed out that she holds a valid concealed-carry license and emphasized that “she has a valid firearm.”
Jonathan Cohn, political director at Progressive Mass, didn’t mince words about the implications.
“We need a zero tolerance policy for lying by law enforcement,” Cohn said.
U.S. District Judge Heather McShain acknowledged the risks involved in the confrontation but denied prosecutors’ request to keep Martinez and Ruiz behind bars before trial. She cited their lack of criminal history and strong community ties. Martinez, who works at a local school, had numerous character letters submitted to the court.
“I think there’s a danger to the community, but I don’t think it’s Ms. Martinez,” Parente told the judge.
The fallout from the shooting was immediate. Nearly 100 community members took to the streets in Brighton Park, protesting what many see as an unprovoked federal attack. Federal agents responded with pepper balls and tear gas—escalating the situation even further.
This incident isn’t isolated. It’s part of a larger federal campaign dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” which has seen a wave of ICE and Border Patrol activity across Chicago. President Donald Trump, citing a need to restore “law and order,” recently deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to the city, many from out of state. Local officials, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, have vocally opposed the move, calling it a blatant federal overreach.
Despite Trump’s claims, violent crime in Chicago has been on a downward trend, and local law enforcement says anti-ICE protesters have not been the chaos agents the administration portrays them to be.
On Monday, the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois filed lawsuits against the Trump administration over the deployment. Meanwhile, a separate lawsuit filed by protesters and journalists accuses federal agents of using excessive force—“shooting, gassing, and detaining individuals”—in clear violation of First Amendment rights.
