Recent Incidents Involving Immigration Agents Result in Multiple Fatalities

In Florida, a man fleeing from federal agents was struck by a tractor trailer and killed, authorities reported on Tuesday. This marks the third death in a week tied to encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, following earlier incidents in Texas and Maine.

The victim, a 28-year-old man, was among four individuals in a vehicle that pulled into a gas station parking lot in the St. Augustine area before 7 a.m. During a confrontation with ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents, all four fled on foot. One of them ran into a busy roadway, where he was hit by a semi-truck, according to Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Dylan Bryan. The semi’s driver stopped and attempted to assist the man.

This incident marks at least the tenth death related to immigration agent encounters since President Donald Trump initiated a mass deportation campaign last year. The events leading to Tuesday’s encounter remain unclear. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed an operation took place, adding that both the Florida Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the Mexican national’s death.

The Department did not respond to questions regarding the status of the other three individuals involved in the incident.

State Representative Angie Nixon, a Democrat from Jacksonville, described the death as a tragedy stemming from an out-of-control agency. She criticized ICE’s recent actions, citing incidents involving a father’s death in Houston and a young man’s shooting in Maine.

Previous cases have also resulted in fatalities when individuals fled from agents and were subsequently struck by vehicles. Last summer, a man fleeing officers outside a Home Depot in Southern California was hit by an SUV while trying to cross a freeway. The man, 52-year-old Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez from Guatemala, was reportedly not being pursued when the incident occurred.

In another case, 24-year-old gardener Josué Castro Rivera of Honduras was killed when a pickup truck struck him on a Virginia highway. This incident occurred during a traffic stop that was part of a targeted, intelligence-based operation. Authorities said Castro Rivera resisted and attempted to flee.

The Mexican government announced on Tuesday that it has asked U.S. state attorneys general to review these incidents involving ICE custody or raids for potential criminal charges.