CHICAGO\/MEXICO CITY
\nSilverio Villegas Gonzalez, a 38-year-old Mexican cook known for his quiet kindness, was shot dead by a US immigration agent in Franklin Park, Illinois, on September 12, moments after dropping off his children at school and daycare.
\nThe Department of Homeland Security claimed he was a \u201ccriminal illegal alien\u201d who drove toward agents, but family and colleagues describe a hardworking father who turned his life around after battling alcoholism.
\nVillegas Gonzalez had no criminal record, aside from minor traffic citations, and had been sober for more than a year. He worked long hours at Tom & Jerry\u2019s Gyros in Chicago, where his manager called him \u201csoft-spoken and dependable.\u201d Originally from Irimbo, Michoac\u00e1n, he moved to the US in 2007 seeking better opportunities. He lived in Franklin Park with his partner, Blanca Mora, and their blended family of three children.
\nSurveillance footage shows ICE agents surrounding his vehicle before gunshots were heard. He crashed moments later.
\nThe FBI and Franklin Park police are investigating the shooting, though it\u2019s unclear which agency leads the probe.
\nMora says his children have since been placed in foster care. \u201cWhen he closed his eyes at night,\u201d she said, \u201che was thinking about the children.\u201d
\nThe death of Villegas Gonzalez \u2014 the first casualty in Trump\u2019s new immigration crackdown \u2014 has reignited debate over use of force and migrant rights in the United States.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CHICAGO\/MEXICO CITY Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, a 38-year-old Mexican cook known for his quiet kindness, was shot dead by a US immigration agent in Franklin Park, Illinois, on September 12, moments after dropping off his children at school and daycare. The Department of Homeland Security claimed he was a \u201ccriminal illegal alien\u201d who drove toward agents, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":508294,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-508284","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n