Nikita Farooq calls the Villegas González shooting murder

Chicago community organizer speaking during public comment

We have seen DHS agents murder Silverio Villegas Gonzalez right here in Franklin Park.
Read the original text (opens in a new tab)Chicago Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability Special Meeting TranscriptPages 53–54, public comment by Nikita Farooq

Source and context

Original text

Chicago Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability Special Meeting Transcript (opens in a new tab)Pages 53–54, public comment by Nikita Farooq

About this source

The official transcript records Farooq’s public comment during a special meeting on federal immigration enforcement.

Archived copy (opens in a new tab)

Before the quotation

Farooq addressed a special meeting on federal immigration enforcement in Chicago.

After the quotation

She cited the death while arguing that federal enforcement had harmed Chicago-area communities.

How this statement is classified

Condemned

Case context: Was ICE justified in fatally shooting Silverio Villegas González?

The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.

Why this label?

Describing the death as murder is an explicit condemnation of the use of deadly force.

Recorded on
Published here
Speakers and community members at a press conference at the Franklin Park site where an ICE agent killed Silverio Villegas González.
Credit: Paul Goyette

More from this case

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Lawrence Benito

Whether it be the apartment raids in South Shore, the shooting of Marimar Martinez in Brighton Park, or the murder of Silverio Villegas González, it’s been proven that ICE does NOT keep us safe - they are designed to intimidate communities of color and deport as many people as possible.
Read statement

Jesus "Chuy" Garcia

In both cases, ICE has lied about the facts that led to these murders, just like they lied when they killed Silverio Villegas Gonzalez and shot Marimar Martinez in Chicago last year.
Read statement

Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus

For eight long months, evidence suggesting this shooting was unjustified – from body camera footage contradicting the federal agent’s claims of severe injury to lack of evidence supporting claims that an agent was dragged – has circulated in the public sphere.
Read statement