By Sara Lindsay, Deputy Editor
Nearly a year after Silverio Villegas González was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Franklin Park, the town’s village board voted on August 17 to approve a permanent memorial near the site where community members have continually gathered to grieve and remember him.
The decision follows months of advocacy by Hijas del Pueblo and other community members who have maintained a temporary memorial near Grand Avenue and Emerson Street, where Villegas González was killed.
On September 12, 2025, an ICE officer shot Villegas González during an attempted traffic stop. Federal officials initially claimed Villegas González drove toward officers and dragged one of them with his vehicle before the officer fired his weapon, but those claims unraveled after body camera footage from the Franklin Park Police Department was released.
The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force later opened an investigation at the request of the Franklin Park Police Department.
Villegas González was a 38-year-old father of two from Michoacán, Mexico. He was killed shortly after dropping his children off at school.
In the days after his death, flowers, candles, signs, and messages appeared at the site of his death. As the initial vigils ended, members of the community kept returning.
Among the group were members of Hijas del Pueblo, a grassroots group of women and neighbors from Franklin Park and surrounding communities. For nearly a year, the group’s members held several gatherings, planted and watered flowers and a vegetable garden, cleaned the site, and advocated for the memorial to remain.
In a press release ahead of the board meeting, Hijas del Pueblo described its work as an effort to transform the site into a place of “beauty, remembrance, and collective healing.”
Adriana Balvaneda, a member of Hijas del Pueblo, told the Elmwood Park Advocate that the memorial has faced some opposition. Residents living in the cul-de-sac behind the site raised concerns, which were taken seriously and addressed. The memorial has also been vandalized repeatedly over the past months. But Balvaneda said what she has witnessed “more love than hate” over the past year.
Ahead of the August 17 meeting, advocates requested that the village establish a memorial bench near the bus stop, a community flower garden, a pedestrian crosswalk at Emerson and Grand or Ruby and Grand, and an honorary street sign with Villegas González’s name.
The group envisioned the bench not only as a memorial to Villegas González, but also as a place of rest for immigrants “past, present, and future” who have struggled to provide better lives for their families.
A large crowd attended the board meeting. Supporters, community advocates, and representatives from local organizations filled the room, and many carried a yellow carnation in honor of Silverio. Local press from the Chicagoland area were present as well.
Ultimately, the board approved a resolution authorizing a memorial bench and commemorative plaque near Grand Avenue and Emerson Street. The resolution describes it as a permanent place for residents to remember Villegas González and reflect on the experiences of immigrant families in the community.
The resolution did not include the proposed flower garden, crosswalk, or honorary street sign.
Father Brendan Curran of The Resurrection Project; Marien Casillas Pabellon of PASO – West Suburban Action Project; Sixto Rincon of Aracely’s Bakery; Artemio Arreola, political director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant (ICIRR) and Refugee Rights; and Michael Okinczyc-Cruz of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership also supported the effort to establish a memorial.
Before opening the meeting to public comment, Village President Barrett Pedersen addressed Villegas González’s death and the memorial proposal.
Pedersen said the Village still had concerns regarding the federal immigration enforcement operation in which Villegas González was killed. He noted that Franklin Park police were not at the scene of the shooting and did not participate in the following FBI investigation, and the village’s police are cooperating with the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force, which is investigating the shooting.
Pedersen also spoke about Franklin Park’s diversity. Despite differences of opinion, he said within the community, everyone deserves respect and dignity. The memorial would provide a permanent place to reflect on Villegas González’s life and death and the experiences of immigrant families.
Father Leandro Fossá, C.S., pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Melrose Park, addressed the board and read a statement on behalf of Villegas González’s partner, Blanca.
“We wanted to move forward as a family that we had built, to be together and be happy. Now, after this tragedy, that is not possible,” Blanca declared.
Blanca expressed solidarity with other families who have experienced similar tragedy and separation from their loved ones.
Fossá told the board that Villegas González’s death had shaken the community and that immigrant families continue to live with fear and uncertainty. He thanked village officials for considering the memorial and told Franklin Park residents in need of hope that they are not alone.
The board approved the resolution, with the exception of Trustee Bill Ruhl, who voted “present” rather than yes. Ruhl supports President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. On his personal Facebook page, he sided with ICE when one of their agents killed Renee Good in Minnesota and shared a post that treated mourning of her death as outrageous.
Balvaneda called the decision “historic” and said making the memorial permanent ensures Villegas González’s death remains part of Franklin Park’s history. “Now they can’t deny that it happened,” she said.
For Balvaneda and other members of Hijas del Pueblo, the permanent memorial is also about Villegas González’s family and what will remain years from now.
Balvaneda said the group wants his family to know the community has not forgotten them. As his children grow older, she said, they will have a permanent place where they can visit and remember their father.
The board vote will not end the group’s work. Hijas del Pueblo plans to hold a community barbecue at a local park on September 12, the first anniversary of Villegas González’s death, with additional details to come.