Chicago woman shot by immigration officer files lawsuit against U.S. government

Marimar Martinez, a 31-year-old Montessori school aide, filed a federal lawsuit in Chicago on Monday seeking damages from the U.S. government over a shooting by Customs and Border Protection Agent Charles Exum on Oct. 4, 2025. The suit, brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, alleges that Exum fired five rounds into Martinez's vehicle without warning, striking her multiple times.

"I want to spread awareness because what's happening is not normal," Martinez said at a news conference, adding that she hopes the case will prevent similar incidents.

According to the complaint, forensic reconstruction and body-camera footage show Exum exiting his SUV, shouting an expletive, and shooting through the front and rear windows of Martinez's SUV within two seconds, hitting her legs, thigh, forearm and chest. The Department of Justice has not filed criminal charges against the agent, and the agency declined comment on the pending litigation.

"In what world can a U.S. law enforcement officer stand behind a car and fire his Glock service weapon through the rear passenger window at a young woman who's crouched over the steering wheel ... you can't," said Martinez's attorney Christopher Parente.

The incident occurred during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operation known as Operation Midway Blitz. At the time, the administration labeled Martinez a "domestic terrorist" and claimed she was armed and had rammed a CBP vehicle. Martinez's lawyers say she possessed a licensed handgun in her purse and that evidence contradicts the claim that she was driving toward the agent.

The lawsuit follows similar actions by families of other citizens shot by federal immigration officers, including the recent filing by the family of Renee Good, who was killed in Minneapolis earlier this year.