A person died during an encounter with federal immigration officials on Tuesday morning in Florida, a state highway patrol spokesperson confirmed, marking the third death in one week linked to immigration enforcement operations.
Details of the Incident
Officials with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a component of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), had an “encounter” with four men in a vehicle in the parking lot of a convenience store along a busy road in St Augustine, Florida, the highway patrol spokesperson said. As the four men fled from the agents, one of them ran into the busy road and was struck by a semi truck. The person died at the scene.
“The pedestrian was struck by the tractor trailer in the right lane and sustained fatal injuries on scene,” said Master Sgt Dylan Bryan, a Florida highway patrol spokesperson, in a statement. “The tractor trailer immediately stopped and attempted to render aid to the victim.”
Victim Identification
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later said in a statement that the person killed was from Mexico. “On July 14, DHS law enforcement conducted an operation near St Johns, Florida. Florida highway patrol and HSI are investigating an incident resulting in the death of a Mexican national,” a spokesperson said. “We will provide an update when available.”
Tuesday morning’s death marks the third immigration enforcement-related death in one week, as ICE and DHS face significant backlash and public outcry following two shootings in Texas and Maine respectively. The statement did not clarify whether the person who died was the target of an arrest operation by the HSI agents.
Context and Reactions
Border patrol officials may also have been present at the scene, according to a homeland security source. An image from the scene of the crash shows a border patrol vehicle present at the site. On Tuesday morning, local news and the St Johns county sheriff’s office reported online that a pedestrian had been struck on the highway, which is about 35 miles (56km) south of Jacksonville. The local fire department responded first to the scene. The St Johns county sheriff’s office and Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the border patrol, referred all questions to ICE.
The New York Times first reported the death on Tuesday afternoon, adding that the person who died was a 28-year-old man. The man’s identity has not yet been released. It is also unclear whether the other three men involved in the “encounter” with the federal officials fled, and whether they are in custody.
Broader Backlash
The death comes as public backlash against DHS reaches a fever pitch, following the killings of two immigrants in the past week. On Monday morning, an ICE official shot and killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian immigrant, as they attempted to arrest him. Last week, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot and killed by ICE officials in Texas, as the federal officials attempted to arrest him and his co-workers while they were on their way to work.
