Bearing False Witness: DHS and ICE Claims That Didn’t Hold Up
A factual record of cases where official accounts collapsed under video and court findings
Time after time, during President Trump’s current “immigration crackdown,” the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been caught lying about what happened during incidents where civilians were hurt or killed.
In most of these cases, federal officials accused the victim of threatening or trying to harm agents. Those claims were later contradicted by video, court rulings, or independent investigations.
What follows is a chronological record of those incidents — using the official statements first, and then what later evidence showed.
October 4, 2025
The Shooting of Marimar Martinez — Chicago, Illinois
The official story:
DHS and ICE said Marimar Martinez, a Montessori teacher with no criminal record, was a “domestic terrorist” who deliberately rammed federal agents with her car during an enforcement action near Midway Airport.
What later emerged:
Body-camera footage and witness video showed agents swerving into Martinez’s path — not the other way around.
What failed to hold up:
All charges were dropped with prejudice in late November 2025 after prosecutors reviewed the video evidence. Separate evidence surfaced showing a federal agent sent a text message bragging about “putting seven holes” in Martinez.
October 20–24, 2025
“Operation Midway Blitz” Protests — Chicago, Illinois
The official story:
Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino testified under oath that agents used tear gas and force only after being attacked by a violent mob. He said he deployed a gas canister only after being struck in the head by a rock.
What later emerged:
In a 233-page ruling issued in November 2025, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis found Bovino’s account “simply not credible.”
What failed to hold up:
Video showed the rock struck Bovino’s helmet after he had already thrown the gas canister. Bovino also testified that he never used physical force — but video showed him personally tackling a protester to the ground.
November 2025
Claims of an “Ambush” — Chicago, Illinois
The official story:
After the protests, Commander Bovino publicly claimed his agents had been “shot at” and “ambushed” by protesters.
What later emerged:
The Chicago Police Department conducted an independent investigation into the gunfire claims.
What failed to hold up:
CPD found no evidence that any shots were fired at federal agents. Video instead showed agents advancing into crowds and deploying chemical agents without warning.
January 7, 2026
The Death of Renee Nicole Good — Minneapolis, Minnesota
The official story:
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump said Renee Nicole Good, a thirty-seven-year-old legal observer, was shot because she attempted to ram ICE agents during a deportation raid.
What later emerged:
Multiple witness videos circulated within hours of the shooting.
What failed to hold up:
The footage shows Good’s vehicle blocked by agents and either stationary or moving very slowly in the snow when an agent reached into her window and fired. Minneapolis officials, including the mayor, said the video disputes the federal claim that the agent faced an immediate threat to his life. Federal authorities later restricted state investigators’ access to evidence in the case.
Findings From the 2025 Federal Injunction
The most damaging findings didn’t come from social media or activists. They came from federal court.
In her November 2025 ruling related to the Chicago protests, Judge Sara Ellis identified two systemic problems.
Use-of-force reports generated with AI:
Agents admitted to using ChatGPT to draft use-of-force reports describing “aggressive movements” and “perceived weapons.” Those descriptions did not match what appeared on video.
False testimony by leadership:
The court explicitly found that a senior DHS commander gave false sworn testimony. That finding established that misleading statements were not limited to the field — they extended to leadership.
Each incident followed a similar pattern:
A serious injury or death. An immediate federal narrative, issued before any independent investigation. Then video, courts, or investigators showing something different.
This is not a claim about motives. It’s a record of outcomes.
The documents exist. The videos exist. The rulings exist.
What they add up to — and what they mean — is for you to decide.
Do you believe the videos, evidence, and eyewitnesses? Or do you believe President Trump, Kristi Noem, and Gregory Bovino?
The camera then captures the SUV as it barrels forward. Someone can be heard uttering “fucking bitch.” https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/09/us/ice-agent-cellphone-video-minneapolis