What was supposed to be a routine morning ended in a moment of panic for Dayanne Figueroa, a paralegal from Chicago who claims to have been dragged from her car by Border Patrol (CBP) agents. The incident occurred on October 10, when an unmarked vehicle crashed into hers on the west side of the city. Figueroa claims that within seconds she was surrounded by several armed men who shouted orders at her without identifying themselves. She says she didn't understand what was happening until she felt them pulling her legs out of the car. "I thought they were going to shoot me," she told Newsweek, which obtained videos of the incident recorded by witnesses at the scene. In the images released by the same outlet, federal agents with drawn guns can be seen surrounding the vehicle, while several bystanders shout at them that they had caused the crash. Witnesses said that the government vehicle was the one that hit first. Figueroa said she never resisted and was "treated like cattle" during the arrest.

After being restrained, she said she was taken to various federal facilities where she was not allowed to make calls or contact her lawyer. She claims she was never informed of the charges or the reasons for her detention. The episode, she claims, left her with physical injuries and a severe emotional crisis.

The Department of Homeland Security's official version

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offered Newsweek a different explanation. According to spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, agents were conducting a targeted arrest in the area when Figueroa's vehicle allegedly blocked the road and struck one of the vehicles in the operation. In its statement, DHS maintains that officers tried to remove her from the car "to protect public safety" and that she "kicked two agents," causing minor injuries.

Figueroa completely rejected that description.She claims that recorded evidence shows it was the government vehicle that struck first. “I wasn’t participating in any protest or doing anything illegal. I want justice, and the videos show what really happened,” she told the US media outlet.

A case that opens debate on the use of force

The woman, who recently underwent kidney surgery, said that the injuries sustained during the arrest aggravated her medical recovery. Her family launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal and medical expenses, while they prepare a formal complaint against the officers involved.

The case has rekindled the discussion about the use of force by federal agents outside of border zones, especially in urban areas like Chicago. So far, the DHS has not confirmed whether it will open an internal investigation, although civil rights organizations have asked for a review of the actions of the agents who participated in the operation.