US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot and killed a man near Chicago on Friday after he allegedly drove his car at a group of agents.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said ICE had been trying to arrest the man, but he resisted and drove towards the group. An agent was then dragged along by his vehicle.
The agent, who the department said feared for his life, drew his gun and opened fire.
The driver, Silverio Villegas-Gonzales, was pronounced dead in hospital shortly after, officials said.
“During a vehicle stop, the suspect resisted and attempted to drive his vehicle into the arrest team, striking an officer and subsequently dragging him as he fled the scene,” a statement said.
The ICE agent suffered “severe injuries” in the incident, officials said, but was in a stable condition in hospital.
The Department of Homeland Security said Mr Villegas-Gonzales had a history of reckless driving and was an undocumented migrant. He entered the country “at an unknown date and time”, they said.
A spokesperson for the local police department in Franklin Park said they had not been involved in the incident.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker wrote in an online post: “This is a developing situation and the people of Illinois deserve a full, factual accounting of what’s happened today to ensure transparency and accountability.”
Franklin Park is a suburb of around 18,000 people near O’Hare Airport, north-west of Chicago. Around half of its population is Hispanic.
Immigration officials have been ramping up enforcement activities in the Chicago area this week on the orders of the Trump administration.
By BBC News
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