A man running from an immigration raid died after an SUV hit him on a Los Angeles freeway, officials say
The National Day Laborer Organizing Network identified the man as Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdés, 52, of Guatemala. He ran from a Home Depot in Monrovia, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began the operation Thursday morning, Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik said in a statement.
He was heading north across eastbound Interstate 210 when he stepped in front of an SUV going about 60 mph in the far-left lane, the California Highway Patrol said in a release, citing investigators. The vehicle's right front end hit the man, who suffered major injuries and died at a hospital.
The person who ran onto the freeway was 'not being pursued by any DHS law enforcement,' the Department of Homeland Security told CNN in a statement. 'We do not know their legal status. We were not aware of this incident or notified by California Highway Patrol until hours after operations in the area had concluded.'
Home Depot locations increasingly have become targets for immigration raids as the Trump administration amps up deportation operations as part of a broader crackdown. The home improvement retailer traditionally has been a place documented and undocumented day laborers gather to pick up jobs as roofers, painters and construction workers.
Thursday's death followed that of a farmworker fatally injured in a fall during a chaotic ICE raid in July at a California cannabis facility. It also came as the Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to halt an order barring immigration authorities from stopping or arresting people in and near Los Angeles based solely on factors like what language speak or where they work.
At least 10 people were detained in the ICE operation in Monrovia, said California Assemblymember John Harabedian, whose district includes the city. He called the incident 'frightening and chaotic,' adding in a statement:
'Raids like this do not make our streets safer – they terrorize families, instill fear, and put lives at risk.'
CNN has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
Home Depot wasn't 'notified that ICE activities are going to happen and we aren't involved in the operations,' the retailer told CNN on Thursday.
'The crash, including circumstances surrounding how and why the pedestrian was on the freeway, remains under investigation by the CHP's Baldwin Park Area,' the highway patrol said.
The National Day Laborer Organizing Network said it has connected with Valdés' family to provide support following his death.
'We also want to support the workers who witnessed and experienced this horrible raid and tragic death,' said the group, which advocates for day laborers, migrants and low-wage workers.
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