A man was hit by a vehicle and killed as he attempted to get away from federal immigration officers who were raiding a Home Depot in Los Angeles county on Thursday morning, according to authorities.
Little has been disclosed about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) operation that led to the incident, but officials in Monrovia, a diverse LA suburb tucked into the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains, confirmed agents had been seen at the store by city police officers shortly before 10am local time. Shortly after, Monrovia fire & rescue responded to reports of a pedestrian struck on the 210 freeway, a large interstate with four lanes in each direction.
The man, who has not been identified, was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
“There is no ongoing Ice activity reported in Monrovia at this time, and the City has not received any communication or information from Ice,” said Monrovia city manager Dylan Feik in a statementadding: “We extend our condolences for the individual and his family.”
This raid was one of several in recent weeks that targeted southern California Home Depot locations; the home improvement store allows day laborers to wait for work opportunities outside.
State assembly member John Harabedian, who represents the area, said in a statement provided to the Guardian that 10 people were detained during Thursday’s operation. “One individual, fearing for their safety, fled and was tragically struck by a vehicle,” he said.
Donald Trump, who ran on promises of a heavy-handed crackdown and mass deportation, has presided over an intensely anti-immigrant agenda. More than 60,000 people were in immigration detention in August, according to reporting from the New York Times, breaking the record Trump set in his first term.
The administration has empowered the federal government’s ability to detain and deport, while the president’s Republican allies in Congress oversaw increases that more than tripled Ice’s budget.
California, which has been a sanctuary state that protects immigrant rights, has been a prime target for federal raids. Earlier this month, the US justice department published a list of such states, cities and countiesclaiming they “impede enforcement of federal immigration laws”, promising to eradicate the policies through litigation.
The state’s protections haven’t stopped federal agents’ raids, which have continued in the face of local protests. They have also sparked widespread fear in immigrant communities.
Cultural and musical events have been canceled across the country, religious gatherings have been dispensed, and workers have left jobs in areas where raids are occurring.
A woman who is legally protected from deportation by her Daca status told the Guardian last month that she and others are fearful to even run errands.
“We’re scared,” she said. “When we go to the store to get groceries, we have the feeling that someone is following us. Sometimes we don’t want to go to the doctor or dentist”.
Calling the actions inhumane, Harabedian said the immigration enforcement actions were harming communities, not protecting them.
“Raids like this do not make our streets safer – they terrorize families, instill fear, and put lives at risk,” he said. “My thoughts are with those harmed and targeted by this frightening and chaotic raid. We will continue to stand with our immigrant communities.”
Amos Barshad and Isabeau Doucet contributed reporting
