Family fights for accountability nearly 1 year after deadly ICE shooting in Franklin Park

FRANKLIN PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- It has been one year since the start of operation "Midway Blitz," the federal government's codename for two-months of enhanced immigration enforcement that resulted in thousands arrested and deported from the Chicago area.

One family is still fighting for accountability after their loved one was killed by an immigration agent in the suburbs.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, 38, was shot and killed by a federal agent during a traffic stop in the village of Franklin Park on Sept. 12, 2025.

His family said Silverio came to the United States more than 20 years ago.

At the time, officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immediately said the fatal shooting was justified, accusing Villegas-Gonzalez of driving his car at agents, and causing serious injuries.

"Fearing for his own life, the officer fired his weapon," DHS said.

But the Villegas-Gonzalez family's attorney told the ABC7 I-Team that forensic evidence they've reviewed so far shows the federal government's version of events does not match reality.

"The Villegas family wants to clear Silverio's good name, bring the truth to light about the circumstances of his death and get accountability for his death," said Jonathan Manes, senior counsel with the MacArthur Justice Center.

SEE ALSO | Operation 'Midway Blitz' cost Cook County $1.26 billion in restaurant, retail activity, report finds

It was just before 9 a.m. on Sept. 12, 2025, when Franklin Park police officers responded to the scene of the fatal shooting.

Body camera video released by the village of Franklin Park captured the moment when one of the Franklin Park officers asked the immigration agents if they were hurt.

"Nothing major," both agents responded.

Less than a minute later, the video recorded former Franklin Park Police Director Michael Witz telling fellow officers they were not there to investigate the shooting.

"Because it's a federal shooting, you're not going to investigate a federal officer," Witz said. "It's their guys who shot him, it's their investigation."

Officers in the body camera recordings can be heard saying the FBI would be investigating the shooting.

Now, nearly a year later, the results of any federal investigation are unknown, and attorney Manes said the names of the immigration agents who conducted the traffic stop that day have not been made public.

"It's shocking that a year after Silverio was killed, we still don't know the name of the officer who shot him dead on our streets," Manes said. "Any police department in the country demands more accountability than that."

The Villegas-Gonzalez family is planning to sue the U.S. government over his death in their fight for accountability, according to Manes, and they are still investigating what happened that September morning.

"The forensic evidence is inconsistent with DHS's account," said Manes. "The gunshot was fired into Silverio's neck downwards. The person who shot him had to have been alongside Silvero's vehicle, not in the path of the vehicle."

The fatal shooting by a federal agent is currently under investigation by the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force and could be referred to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office for prosecution.

But that investigation began in May of this year, nearly eight months after the shooting.

Manes said the family fears it will be a challenge for investigators to find the evidence necessary to prove any charges in state court.

"In these kinds of investigations, speed can matter," Manes told the I-Team. "Evidence, witnesses, eyewitnesses, video. These sorts of things can disappear if you don't get them soon."

The Cook County State's Attorney's office told the I-Team they could not comment on the Illinois State Police investigation into Villegas-Gonzalez' death as it is ongoing, but the office said it is prepared to bring charges against federal officers if the facts warrant it.

As the I-Team previously reported, the Mexican government is also planning to file criminal complaints against those responsible for the deaths of Mexican nationals during immigration enforcement, including Villegas-Gonzalez.

But Manes says more must be done.

"The federal government is acting like it is above the law and they can take lives with no public reckoning," Manes said.