ICE Accountability Project Statement on Cook County’s New Protocol for Prosecuting Federal Agents

Following today’s announcement of a charging framework for federal officers who violate Illinois law, the ICE Accountability Project issued the following statement:

“When federal agents cross the line, they must be held accountable.

“It has been 160 days since federal agents shot and killed Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park, a father taken too soon from his two young children. 138 days since Miramar Martinez, a Brighton Park teacher’s assistant, was shot five times after federal agents rammed her car while she was on her way to work. 111 days since Halloween night when children in costume watched as an agent beat a defenseless man lying on the ground in Evanston.

“This new protocol is certainly a welcome step in the right direction — but welcome words are not enough and many questions remain unanswered.

“Will it be used to investigate these shootings?

“What is the status of those investigations today?

“Are local departments and prosecutors actively working to bring charges where the evidence supports them?

“The framework now exists, and it must be implemented promptly and transparently. Federal officials have threatened to return, and we cannot waste a single day.

“As one of the first cities terrorized by these operations, Chicago should be among the first to bring charges against agents who flagrantly broke the law.”