Advocacy groups and community members challenging the Trump administration say aggressive tactics endanger bystanders and those being chased by federal immigration agents.
Last month, Jaime Alanís Garcia died during an immigration raid in Camarillo after falling 30 feet, believed to be running from federal agents chasing him. Thursday, a man fleeing immigration agents in Monrovia was struck and killed on the 210 Freeway.
Those suing the Trump administration over its practices say that through agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it is creating dangerous conditions.
“Not only creating an unprecedented risk, but it deliberately, it is deliberately fostering conditions that are leading to harm and death,” said Armando Gudiño, executive director of the Los Angeles Worker Center Network.
Serious injuries have been reported during attempted arrests.
“We had another case a couple of months ago where a man was running away from the kidnappers and he was struck by a Metro or a train and he lost his arm,” said Ron Gochez of Unión del Barrio.
Those transferred to ice custody have reported inhumane conditions.
“Access to water, proper facilities for hygiene, and for those individuals who, again, have chronic medical illnesses, they don’t have the timely attention to their medical needs,” said Gudiño.
According to the latest available data reported by ICE, there have been at least 10 deaths in ICE custody this year up to June 26. That number already surpasses the number of deaths reported in the first half of every year since 2018.
Carlos Roberto Montoya was pronounced dead at the hospital following the crash. Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil on Friday at the Home Depot where the raid happened.
The reports published include cases of death by suicide. Others detail different medical conditions and complications including stroke, sepsis and dementia. Some don’t point to a possible cause of death.
“The best way to summarize what people are experiencing while in detention is to describe it as absolute and total desperation and fear,” said Gudiño, adding that the fear these immigration raids produce has far-reaching implications, including the consequences of avoiding medical treatment and an ongoing mental health toll.
“Children experiencing levels of fear and anxiety that we’ve never heard of, much less seen, because they’re fearful that mom and dad might not come home,” he said.
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