From traffic stops to fatal shootings: US citizens recount encounters with federal agents

The forum, organised by Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Robert Garcia, focused on the conduct of the US Department of Homeland Security during immigration raids and enforcement operations.

• Americans recounted traumatic experiences with immigration agents on Capitol Hill
• Families recount deadly raids, demanding accountability.
• Forum criticized DHS tactics amid national enforcement debate.

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Several Americans who say they experienced aggressive encounters with federal immigration agents spoke publicly on Capitol Hill this week, describing moments they say were frightening, confusing and, in some cases, deadly, CNN reported.

The forum, organised by Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Robert Garcia, focused on the conduct of the US Department of Homeland Security during immigration raids and enforcement operations. No DHS officials attended the event.

A family still grieving Renee Good

Brent Ganger, the brother of 37-year-old Renee Good, addressed lawmakers as he spoke about his sister, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minnesota after an encounter in her car on January 7.

“Dandelions don’t ask permission to grow,” he said, describing his sister’s resilience and warmth. “They push through cracks in the sidewalk.”

Good had just dropped off her six-year-old son at school when the fatal encounter occurred. Video of the shooting has circulated widely, and her death, along with the later killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, has fuelled protests and criticism of federal immigration operations in the region.

Her brother Luke Ganger told lawmakers the family had hoped her death might bring reform. “The deep distress our family feels… is complicated by disbelief and desperation for change,” he said.

Raids, gunfire and dismissed charges

Others described encounters that did not end in death but, they said, left lasting trauma.

Omar Rascon recounted an August incident in which masked Customs and Border Protection agents surrounded a family truck with weapons drawn. Windows were smashed and gunshots were later heard as the vehicle drove away. Rascon told lawmakers that weeks later agents entered his home in the middle of the night, pointing rifles with laser sights at family members, including his pregnant fiancée. He said charges against his father-in-law were eventually dropped.

Martinez, who was accused in October of ramming a federal vehicle, told lawmakers that she believes agents misrepresented what happened. A judge later dismissed the charges against her, citing concerns about how the case was handled.

“I am born and raised in Chicago,” she said. “On October 4, 2025, those values were tested when my life was nearly taken by my own government.”

Allegations of mistreatment in custody

Rahman, who says she is autistic and struggles in high stress situations with multiple voices, described being detained during a January operation. She said she was denied medical screening, access to a lawyer and emergency medical care when she began experiencing blurred vision and severe pain.

DHS previously referred to her as an “agitator” who ignored commands. At the forum, she said confusion and sensory overload contributed to the situation.

A broader political fight

The forum was the second event hosted by Blumenthal and Garcia focused on immigration enforcement tactics. The Trump administration has defended its approach as necessary for public safety and border control.

For the families who testified, however, the focus was less about politics and more about accountability. Their stories now sit at the centre of a larger national debate over how immigration laws are enforced, who is targeted and how much force is justified in the process.