Lightfoot on Fox 32: “If You Don’t Investigate, You Are Presupposing the Outcome”

Reiterates call for CCSAO to investigate alleged ICE abuses

Former Chicago Mayor and ICE Accountability Project founder Lori Lightfoot reiterated her call for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to investigate allegations of criminal misconduct by federal immigration agents, arguing that questions about immunity or the ultimate viability of criminal charges cannot be answered before authorities investigate the facts.

Appearing Monday on FOX 32’s The Chicago Report, Lightfoot rejected the idea that the legal hurdles involved in prosecuting federal agents justify declining to initiate an investigation in the first place.

“It’s a high hurdle to meet. But if you don’t investigate, then you are presupposing what the outcome is going to be.”

Lightfoot said the investigative process should work the same way it does in other cases involving allegations of serious law enforcement misconduct: gather the evidence, apply the law and determine where the facts lead.

“The standard is different, but the investigations and gathering the evidence and making — calling balls and strikes based upon the evidence and the law — is the exact same process, different standard.”

She acknowledged that federal agents accused of wrongdoing may assert immunity if criminal charges are brought, but said that only underscores the need for a thorough investigation.

“Clearly, if you bring charges against a federal agent, the first thing they’re going to do is claim immunity. So you’ve got to make sure that your case is airtight. This isn’t about what’s the outcome. It’s about initiating a process.”

Lightfoot pointed to the killing of Silverio Villegas González, the shooting of Marimar Martinez and other allegations of physical abuse and excessive force during federal immigration operations in Cook County as incidents warranting independent scrutiny.

“When you have a homicide that takes place within your jurisdiction, a shooting that takes place within your jurisdiction, and countless other instances where federal immigration agents are ramming cars, potentially harming people, standing on the top of the facility there in Broadview and shooting randomly at peaceful protesters — if that’s not enough to trigger an investigation by the State’s Attorney and local law enforcement, I don’t know what is.”

Lightfoot also challenged the State’s Attorney’s Office’s contention that it does not lead underlying law enforcement investigations, pointing to longstanding protocols and infrastructure used to investigate allegations of serious misconduct by local law enforcement.

“For her to say this is not our job, there’s overwhelming precedent going back decades, which she embraces when it’s to her liking. Why this difference now with federal immigration agents?”

The interview followed a Friday press conference at Daley Plaza where Lightfoot joined Latino community leaders calling for greater accountability for alleged abuses by federal immigration agents. FOX 32 reported that Lightfoot has continued to dispute the State’s Attorney’s position regarding its authority to investigate such allegations.

Lightfoot said the ICE Accountability Project will continue documenting alleged misconduct and pressing law enforcement authorities to investigate.

“We’re continuing to lift up our voices on this particular issue to get justice and accountability for the people that have done harm — tangible harm, well-documented videotape evidence, witness evidence — and hoping that, frankly, local law enforcement is going to follow the precedent of their peers across the country and do an investigation and follow the facts where they lead them.”

Watch the full interview on FOX 32’s The Chicago Report:
https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-i88rb9ounqpxmrxi