The account of Lesly Guevara, a pregnant woman from the Chicago area, has sparked outrage and concern about the tactics of federal immigration agents in the United States.

The young woman claims that an ICE agent pointed a gun directly at her while she was inside her car with her partner and their ten-month-old baby, during an operation in the city of Berwyn, Illinois. According to statements obtained by Newsweek, Guevara feared for her life and that of her family, to the point of thinking that "everything could end at that moment."

A complaint that reignites the controversy over ICE operations

Guevara said that she was parked when she saw several Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicles arriving chasing two suspects. She said that she began honking her horn to warn neighbors about the agents' presence, a practice that, she said, the community often uses to alert others.

Minutes later, a federal agent got out of the official car, raised his weapon and walked toward her, accusing her of obstructing the operation. At that moment, the woman says, she asked the officer to lower his weapon, reminding him that she was pregnant and that she was only trying to warn others.

The woman told the American media that she is in a high-risk pregnancy and is about to give birth. Despite her fear, she decided to continue recording the encounter with her cell phone to record what happened. "I felt scared, but also angry. I couldn't stay silent," she expressed in her testimony.

Fear, tiredness, and distrust of the authorities

The mother, a resident of Cicero, on the west side of Chicago, said that her reaction was not only one of fear, but also of exhaustion with what she considers a constant in her community: "They hit people, they abuse their power. I couldn't continue watching that and doing nothing."

According to the testimony, after the officer realized he was being recorded, he tried to cover his face. For Guevara, that gesture was a sign that the officer knew he had gone too far.

According to Newsweek,Videos of the incident were posted on TikTok and have circulated widely, generating supportive comments and calls for accountability from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The outlet confirmed that it attempted to obtain an official response from the agency, but received no response by press time.

What's next for Lesly Guevara and the investigation?

So far, there is no official confirmation as to whether the incident will lead to an internal investigation within DHS. Local activists and civil rights attorneys in Illinois have offered legal support to Guevara, who insists she is only seeking justice and that her testimony will help others not go through the same thing.

“My goal is to raise awareness and encourage people to not be afraid to speak out,” she said in her statement. Meanwhile, public pressure is mounting, and the federal agency is expected to respond in the coming days regarding the behavior of its agents in Berwyn.