A Chicago woman who was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent last year is set to testify before federal lawmakers in Washington, D.C. next week. Marimar Martinez will speak at a joint forum focused on the use of force by the Department of Homeland Security.
Martinez was injured during an incident in October in Brighton Park, where residents were protesting the presence of federal immigration agents. Agents claimed that Martinez chased them and rammed her car into one of their vehicles, but both she and her attorney have denied these allegations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office later dropped all charges against her.
The upcoming forum will take place at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and will include members from House and Senate oversight committees. It is being organized by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Rep. Robert Garcia of California as part of their investigation into what they describe as “the lawless and abusive tactics used by federal immigration agents.”
Other speakers at the forum will include Aliya Rahman and Martin Daniel Rascon, who were also harmed during immigration enforcement actions in California and Minneapolis. An attorney for the family of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen killed by a federal agent in January in Minneapolis, will also address lawmakers.
A livestream of Martinez’s testimony from Washington, D.C., will be available online.
Martinez is currently seeking to have evidence from her case released to the public, citing heightened public interest following other recent fatal incidents involving federal agents and ongoing government statements about her case that she disputes.
Her attorney, Chris Parente, argued before U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis that keeping evidence sealed prevents Martinez from correcting misinformation while officials continue to make public statements about her case, sometimes labeling her as a “domestic terrorist.”
Federal prosecutors have opposed releasing some materials, stating that they relied on a protective order when providing evidence and expressing concerns about privacy or ongoing investigations.
Judge Alexakis has asked government lawyers to specify which pieces of evidence should remain sealed and why general claims are insufficient to justify keeping everything confidential. She noted that key facts about the case—such as its dismissal with prejudice—have not been clarified by high-ranking officials.
The government must submit a detailed written response by Monday outlining what evidence should stay under seal; a ruling is expected Wednesday.
