In October, Chicago teacher Marimar Martinez was driving to donate clothing when she spotted federal immigration agents conducting raids in the city's Brighton Park neighborhood. What followed was a violent encounter that left her wounded and branded a terrorist by her own government—a label that quickly unraveled under legal scrutiny.
A Traffic Contact and Five Bullets
Martinez and other community members began following the agents' vehicles, honking and shouting "la migra" to warn others of their presence. According to her attorney, Christopher Parente, a brief, side-to-side contact occurred between her car and that of Border Patrol Officer Charles Exum. Exum then exited his vehicle and opened fire, striking Martinez five times.
The Department of Homeland Security's official narrative was starkly different. Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed Martinez was a "domestic terrorist" who had "rammed federal agents" while they were boxed in by ten cars. DHS alleged she had threatened the officer with a semi-automatic weapon and had previously been flagged for "doxing agents." She was charged with assaulting and impeding a federal officer.
A Pattern of Deadly Force and Disinformation
This incident is not isolated. According to data from The Trace, immigration officers have opened fire 16 times in the past year, resulting in four deaths. The government's explanation often follows a familiar script: the individual tried to run over officers, justifying deadly force.
This pattern was repeated just this week in Minneapolis, where Renee Good was shot and killed by a federal agent. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem labeled Good's actions "an act of domestic terrorism," claiming she tried to run over officers. President Donald Trump called her a "professional agitator."
"They're doing the exact same thing now because they have to," Martinez's attorney, Christopher Parente, told HuffPost, referring to Good's killing. "How else do you justify shooting a stay-at-home mom with stuffed animals in her car?"
Evidence Collapses the Government's Case
The claims against Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old teacher, fell apart completely. The charging documents mentioned only two cars following agents and made no mention of a gun. In court, Parente argued body-camera footage showed Exum swerved into Martinez's car. Exum himself admitted the contact was "side to side," not a head-on ramming.
Furthermore, prosecutors told Parente that Martinez had not posted threats against agents, contradicting McLaughlin's statement. Text messages from Exum, introduced in court, showed him bragging about the shooting: "I fired 5 rounds, and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys."
Parente also alleged evidence was destroyed. The government vehicle was driven to Maine, where a Border Patrol mechanic "buffed out all of the alleged damage," preventing independent analysis. Federal prosecutors ultimately dropped all charges, and the judge dismissed the case.
Martinez survived but suffers lasting physical and mental trauma. "She can't hold a pen, she can't close her hand," Parente said. They are now preparing a lawsuit for damages.
"The approach of our government right now is to literally implement the death penalty for minor traffic offenses on the spot," Parente concluded. This case raises grave questions about the use of force, accountability, and the weaponization of the "domestic terrorist" label against civilians.
