Martinez had been accused of closely pursuing Customs and Border Protection agent Charles Exum and hitting his car on October 4. But Martinez’s defense attorney, Christopher Parente, alleged the opposite, saying it was actually the agent who sideswiped Martinez. Parente said, “This case was going to be a winner at trial regardless.”
“These agents were lying about what happened,” he added following the dismissal. “Miss Martinez never rammed anybody. These agents hit Miss Martinez. These agents jumped out and shot Miss Martinez, a US citizen whose only crime was warning her fellow community members that ICE was in the neighborhood.”
And a congressional response:
“I am pleased to see that the charges against Marimar Martinez and Anthony Ruiz have been dismissed. Federal agents involved in the violence unleashed by Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago have a track record of lying about their actions, and we must hold them accountable for the terror they are deploying in our communities.”
Yes, ICE is out of control. They are the criminals in many cases. They are violating the law left and right, and violating civil rights even of US citizens. They are a rogue agency.
When reached by CNN for comment on the judge dismissing charges against Martinez, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin on Thursday restated previous claims that Martinez was one of the drivers who rammed agents and referred questions on the charges to the Justice Department.
CNN has reached out to the DOJ for further comment.
I hope that if and when Democrats take this government back, they throw the lot of these assholes in jail. If they grow a spine they would. This should be unacceptable to everyone.
I have a warning whistle, the kind being used in the Chicago area to warn of ICE presence - 3 short toots for ICE in the area, 3 long toots for somebody whisked away. It is LOUD.
That’s just what Trump wants.
Big credit to JB Pritzker for cautioning Illinois residents against that, and big credit to the residents of Chicago who didn’t take the bait as Trump assaulted the city.
Fuck off, Mr. Potato Head.
(I have it on good authority that Trump hates that taunt.)
I think armed resistance gives them an excuse, and some legal cover to be even worse.
If the lady in this latest incident had been the one to ram ICE as they alleged, rather than the other way around, things would have turned out very different in court.
Local law enforcement should be doing that now. I agree that armed resistance would be counter-productive. But criminal investigation into malfeasance of individual ICE officers, who ought to be held personally guilty of crimes committed, would be helpful, i believe.
And especially not when you’re not wearing an ICE uniform. What these goons are wearing isn’t a uniform. Part of the point of a uniform is that it’s possible to identify the person wearing it.
Probably a long time, Americans have been carefully trained to be supine to authority.
That said, I expect things will keep getting worse until there is enough large scale violence to provide pushback. And by large scale violence I means cities on fire and mobs in the street, not one or two people shooting.
Americans have a long history of rebellious protesting. Sometimes they were kept kinda peaceful. Other times they resulted in overt war.
I think if we get our feet back under us and the realities are pounding down the average America is gonna have enough of it. There will be marches. There will skirmishes. Neighbors will dispute each other.
You’re right it might get really ugly. My wish is we can keep it at least civil. I’m not real hopeful, tho’.
I wish true police would back citizens better.
I cannot imagine the struggle Hispanic Police officers are going through.
Unfortunately as long as it’s brown people getting harassed, “average” Americans aren’t going to care. It’s not like anyone was called piggy or anything…
To make it clear, I don’t want mass violence; I’m not dumb enough to think I’m immune to becoming collateral damage, unlike some people with fantasies of “glorious revolution”. I just think that at this point it’s near inevitable, as the Right has figured out they can just ignore the law and do as they please without consequences. So until people provide those consequences, they’ll keep pushing, and getting worse and worse.