Senator Murphy Demands Answers from DHS Over Conflicting Accounts of Chicago Shooting

The Department of Homeland Security faces mounting scrutiny from lawmakers following the shooting of a U.S. citizen by Border Patrol agents in Chicago, as significant discrepancies emerge between the agency’s initial claims and subsequent legal documents.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) has formally requested that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem correct the public record and release all bodycam footage of the incident, stating that “the evidence appears to contradict” the department’s official account.

“When the government misrepresents or lies about events involving the safety and wellbeing of federal law enforcement, it erodes public trust, making their jobs much harder,” Murphy wrote in his letter to Secretary Noem.

The controversy centers around the shooting of Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen, who was shot multiple times by federal agents earlier this month. The DHS initially claimed Martinez was involved in ramming Border Patrol vehicles in Chicago, but differing accounts have emerged about who was responsible for the escalation that led to gunfire.

Hours after the shooting, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin released a statement claiming federal agents were “rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars.” The statement further alleged that Martinez was armed with a “semi-automatic weapon” and that agents fired “defensive shots” after exiting their vehicle.

However, the criminal complaint filed against Martinez the following day tells a markedly different story. FBI Special Agent Caitlin Malone’s account mentions only two cars ramming federal vehicles, not ten, and makes no reference to Martinez brandishing a weapon at any point during the encounter.

Local police audio later confirmed that while Martinez possessed a concealed carry permit, her weapon remained in her purse throughout the incident, according to Fox Chicago reports.

“The DHS statement which they rushed out three hours after the shooting to try to justify what happened is just filled with misleading and false claims, and it’s really disturbing because it’s becoming their standard practice,” Murphy said in a video posted to social media.

The senator also disputed DHS claims that Chicago police abandoned federal agents after the incident, presenting video evidence of local officers at the scene following the shooting and showing them affected by teargas deployed by federal agents.

Martinez has been indicted by a grand jury and has pleaded not guilty to charges including assaulting, resisting, and impeding officers. Her defense team maintains that federal agents swerved into Martinez’s vehicle, not the opposite as claimed by authorities.

Christopher Parente, Martinez’s attorney, told CNN he had viewed bodycam footage that contradicts the government’s narrative. “He’s driving with one hand, and he turns it to the left,” Parente said, describing an agent’s actions visible in the footage. “In my experience, when you turn your wheel to the left, your car goes to the left, which is where her car was.”

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Parente also claims the body camera footage shows an agent holding an assault rifle before shooting Martinez while saying, “Do something b—h.”

Further complicating matters, during a recent court hearing, U.S. federal attorneys revealed that a key piece of evidence—the federal vehicle allegedly rammed by Martinez—had been relocated 1,000 miles away to Maine. U.S. District Court Judge Georgia Alexakis ordered prosecutors to return the vehicle, stating, “It’s a reasonable request. There’s only so much you can tell from photos.”

Murphy’s letter also raises concerns about how conservative activist Laura Loomer obtained photographs of Martinez’s car, which she posted on social media claiming they came from a “DHS Source.” Murphy has called on Noem to investigate this potential leak of evidence.

The controversy unfolds amid heightened tensions over the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement in Chicago. Democratic officials, including Mayor Brandon Johnson, have established “ICE-free zones” to limit federal operations, while residents continue protesting regularly, particularly outside an ICE facility in suburban Broadview.

Operation Midway Blitz has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests across Illinois according to DHS, employing tactics that Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has criticized as inappropriate in a democratic society, especially when used against children.

The DHS did not respond to requests for comment on this developing story.