Chicago resident Marimar Martinez details Border Patrol shooting at Capitol Hill forum on DHS force
Testimony spotlights disputed Chicago incident and broader questions about immigration enforcement oversight
WASHINGTON — Marimar Martinez, a Chicago resident and U.S. citizen, testified on Capitol Hill this week about an October 2025 encounter in the Brighton Park neighborhood that left her with multiple gunshot wounds after agents opened fire during a federal immigration operation.
Martinez appeared at a bicameral public forum held Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, convened by Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Rep. Robert Garcia of California. The session also heard from relatives and other witnesses describing serious injuries and deaths tied to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law-enforcement actions in recent months.
What Martinez told lawmakers
In her prepared remarks, Martinez described using her vehicle horn to alert neighbors as enforcement activity unfolded in Brighton Park in October. She said a vehicle driven by federal officers struck her truck and cut her off, and that she tried to leave the area because she believed her life was in danger. She testified that as she drove away, gunfire shattered a rear passenger window and she felt bullets hit her body, prompting heavy bleeding and disorientation.
Martinez also told lawmakers that after the shooting she was treated not as a victim of a traffic collision and shooting, but as a dangerous suspect, including being labeled a “domestic terrorist” in public statements. DHS has maintained its prior public accounts of the incident.
Government allegations and the case’s outcome
Federal authorities previously asserted that Martinez initiated the collision and that agents fired because they feared for their safety. Martinez and a second defendant, Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, were charged in federal court with assaulting a federal officer with a vehicle.
In November 2025, federal prosecutors moved to drop the charges, and a federal judge dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be refiled.
Details at the center of the dispute
Number of shots and injuries: Martinez has publicly described being shot five times. Court reporting has also referenced “seven holes” from the incident, a discrepancy that has been cited in arguments about the trajectory and effects of the gunfire.
Body-camera footage: Defense attorneys have argued that available video conflicts with initial federal accounts. Reporting has indicated that not all involved agents had body-worn cameras activated at the time.
Firearm allegations: Federal statements after the shooting alleged Martinez was armed; she was not charged with a firearms offense. Defense counsel has said she had a legally possessed firearm but did not brandish it.
Why the testimony matters now
The forum unfolded amid heightened scrutiny of DHS enforcement tactics following other high-profile use-of-force incidents, including the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renée Good in January 2026 and the death of Alex Pretti later that month. Lawmakers said the testimony will inform ongoing oversight and potential policy proposals addressing identification, use-of-force standards, and accountability mechanisms for federal immigration operations.
Martinez framed her appearance as an effort to ensure that her experience and those of others remain part of the public record as Congress weighs oversight options.