Chicago — Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old Chicago resident who survived being shot multiple times by a U.S. Border Patrol agent last fall, is now stepping into the public spotlight, saying she feels a responsibility to speak for those who no longer can.
Her decision comes in the wake of the recent deaths of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens fatally shot by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.
In a wide-ranging interview with Chicago media, Martinez recounted the moment she realized she had been shot during a confrontation with Border Patrol agents in October.
After a vehicle collision involving agents near 39th Street and Kedzie Avenue, Martinez said she lost control of her right hand and soon realized she was bleeding heavily. She had been struck five times.
Unable to dial emergency services due to blood covering her phone, she used her vehicle’s voice assistant to call for help and managed to reach a nearby repair shop before losing consciousness.
Martinez survived the shooting but sustained lasting nerve damage to her right hand, leaving her unable to fully bend several fingers.
Despite the physical limitations, she says she refuses to let the incident define or end her life. She continues working as a teacher’s assistant at a Montessori school and remains active in her community.
Federal authorities initially accused Martinez of serious crimes, publicly labeling her a “domestic terrorist” and alleging she rammed agents with her vehicle and was armed.
Court records later showed her firearm remained secured in her purse and that she held a valid concealed-carry permit.
Charges against Martinez were ultimately dropped by U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros, though the federal government has not formally withdrawn its earlier public claims.
Evidence presented by Martinez’s attorney, Christopher Parente, suggests at least one bullet entered her vehicle from behind. Only one of the three agents present had an activated body camera during the incident.
The agent identified as driving the Border Patrol vehicle was Charles Exum, whose alleged text messages about the shooting later became a focal point in court proceedings.
Martinez says her experience mirrors what happened to Renée Nicole Good, who was shot by ICE officer Jonathan Ross on January 7, and Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse killed by federal agents on January 24.
Like Martinez, both were posthumously described by authorities using language that framed them as threats. Martinez says the key difference is that she survived.
“They don’t have a voice anymore,” Martinez said of Good and Pretti. “I do. And I’m going to use it.”
Martinez is scheduled to testify in Washington, D.C., at a public forum examining immigration agents’ use of force.
She is also awaiting a ruling from U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis on whether she may publicly release evidence from her case, including body-camera footage and investigative records.
Judge Alexakis has sharply criticized the government for making public accusations while failing to equally publicize the dismissal of charges.
Raised in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, Martinez says she loves her city and its people and refuses to live in fear. She believes her survival carries a responsibility to demand accountability and systemic change.
“I am here for a reason,” Martinez said. “If this happened to me, it can happen again — unless something changes.”
As federal immigration enforcement continues to draw national scrutiny, Martinez’s story has become a powerful reminder of the human cost behind these encounters, and a living challenge to the narratives shaped when victims do not survive to tell their own stories.
