District Judge Georgia N. Alexakis has lifted a protective order in the case of Marimar Martinez, allowing Border Patrol bodycam footage, text messages and other evidence to be reviewed. Martinez, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen and Montessori teacher, says she was shot multiple times while protesting an immigration surge in October. The Department of Homeland Security alleges she rammed and boxed in an agent’s vehicle. Unsealing the materials could be central to determining the facts as the case moves forward.
Chicago Judge Unseals Border Patrol Bodycam, Texts in Case of Woman Shot During Immigration Operation
Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen who was shot multiple times by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent in Chicago, Illinois on October 4, 2025, attends a public forum to discuss the use of violent force by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo
A federal judge in Chicago has lifted a protective order that had restricted access to Border Patrol body-worn camera footage, text messages and other evidence in the case of a Chicago woman who was shot multiple times by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration enforcement operation last fall.
District Judge Georgia N. Alexakis issued the ruling on Friday, granting a motion by Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old U.S. citizen and Montessori school teacher who says she was shot while protesting an immigration surge in October. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has accused Martinez of ramming the agent’s vehicle and boxing him in with her car.
What Was Unsealed
The decision removes a protective order that had kept bodycam video, related text messages and other materials out of public view. Those items are now available for review by the parties and could be referenced in future court filings and hearings.
Why It Matters
Unsealing the evidence could provide clearer details about the encounter, the sequence of events during the October operation carried out under the previous administration, and whether the shooting was justified. Attorneys for Martinez argued the public and defense need access to the materials to prepare their case; prosecutors had cited privacy and security concerns in opposing full disclosure.
The investigation and related litigation are ongoing. Further court proceedings are likely as both sides examine the unsealed materials and weigh their next steps.
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