Activists, Local Leaders Call For 'Transparent' Investigation Of ICE Shooting
By Stephen Gossett in News on Mar 29, 2017 2:42PM
Twitter / Communities United
Community leaders, residents and local officials called for transparency in the investigation while gathered on Tuesday outside the home of a man in Belmont Central who was shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an arrest attempt the day before.
The shooting "demonstrates only the latest in a series of incidents across the country that show what happens when ICE agents are unshackled,” said Sophie Vodvarka, of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which she said supports the call for a full investigation into the shooting.
Also on hand were Ald. Gilbert Villegas (Ward 36) and Ald. Milly Santiago (Ward 31). “We don’t know exactly the details of the investigation,” Santiago said. “I know that there are more questions than answers.”
Villegas said his office has fielded hundreds of calls since the shooting, on Monday morning.
The People’s Response Team, Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD), and Mijente said in a joint statement:
"Yesterday’s shooting of Felix Torres by an Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shows that immigration raids make our communities unsafe and expose the heightened militarized tactics utilized by ICE to detain people in our communities. It also highlights reasons why our local governments must take action to stand on the side of immigrant communities, demand accountability and transparency from ICE, and do everything in their power to help this family and prevent future raids from taking place."
ICE agents went to arrest someone in the 6100 block of West Grand Avenue on Monday morning, according to the agency. ICE said an agent shot a second person after he pointed a weapon at them. But family dispute that the man, identified as 53-year-old Felix Torres, was armed. Torres is a legal resident and his children are U.S. citizens, family and the man’s lawyer said. Torres’ son is facing earlier charges of gun possession, but ICE has not publicly stated who the target of the raid was. As many as eight family members were detained following the raid, before eventually being released.
ICE said on Monday that its Office of Professional Responsibility will review the incident. The Chicago Police Department said it "will investigate the underlying criminal offense and work in collaboration with DHS and the United States Attorney."