Chicago woman tells Congress about Border Patrol shooting her in Brighton Park

Chicago woman by Border Patrol testifies before Congress

At a congressional forum in Washington, Chicago resident Marimar Martinez recounts the day she was shot five times by Border Patrol agents and describes the lasting trauma of the incident and its aftermath.

CHICAGO - A Chicago woman told members of Congress on Tuesday that Border Patrol shot her after she warned neighbors about agents in her neighborhood.

What we know:

Members of Congress hosted a forum in Washington on Tuesday, hearing testimony from people who said their lives were changed by ICE and Border Patrol agents, in some cases tragically.

One of the speakers was Marimar Martinez from Chicago. She said Border Patrol agents shot her five times last October in the Brighton Park neighborhood.

Martinez testified that she woke up on Oct. 4, 2025, planning to donate clothing to charity at her local church. While heading out, she said she noticed what she believed was a Border Patrol vehicle watching her neighborhood.

She said she did not intend to follow the agents, but ended up honking her horn to warn neighbors. Martinez said people began setting off their car alarms for about 20 minutes.

What they're saying:

After she alerted neighbors, Martinez said the situation escalated.

"I knew I had to get to safety before I was dragged from my car and likely beaten or killed," Martinez said. "I drove forward and went around the Border Patrol agents who jumped out of his car and pointed his gun at me."

She said she moved into the far left lane, hit the curb along Kedzie Avenue, and then felt a burning sensation in her arms and legs.

"The next thing I knew I felt a burning sensation in my arms, legs and thought I had been shot by pepper balls," she said.

Martinez testified they were not pepper balls, but bullets, and that she heard her rear passenger window shatter from gunfire. She pulled over and called 911 and was then taken to a nearby hospital where she says she saw her life flash before her eyes.

"I remember the agents rushing the nurses to finish up so they could take me with them," Martinez said. "I still felt dizzy. I was not able to fully process what had happened to me."

She said she was discharged from the hospital in less than three hours and then taken into FBI custody.