As they say in Spanish, "Mucho cuidado Mexico." Be careful, Mexico. Presidenta Sheimbaum is talking about suing ICE over the death of a Mexican national in California. Here is the story:
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday said her administration was considering the possibility of filing a legal complaint over the death of a migrant who fell to his death during an immigration raid at a cannabis farm in Camarillo.
Jaime Alanís Garcia was hospitalized and later died after falling off a roof during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in Camarillo.
"Jaime was not just a farmworker, he was a provider, and a human being who deserved dignity. His death is not an isolated tragedy. It is the result of a targeted raid at Glass House Farms. Workers were met not with protection, but with chaos and fear. Some were detained. Others were traumatized. Jaime lost his life," the family posted on social media.
Federal agents clashed with protesters during the immigration raid at the farm in Ventura County, one of at least two large-scale raids in Southern California on July 10.
Garcia's family said he fell about 30 feet off a building while he was possibly trying to run from federal agents. Garcia suffered a broken neck and skull.
"We are supporting the family, we are in contact with them, and we're also exploring the possibility of filing a complaint (in the U.S.) because this is unacceptable," Sheinbaum said at a Tuesday press conference. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently reviewing the matter. It is very unfortunate that this happened. All our solidarity and support go to the family, and there must not be another case like this one. That's why the complaint must be filed in the courts over there."
The Department of Homeland Security said he was not being pursued by law enforcement when he fell.
"This man was not in and has not been in CBP or ICE custody. Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a green house and fell 30 feet," said DHS Public Affairs Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible."
It's a sad situation and loss of life is always a bad outcome. However, ICE was not looking for Jaime and it appears that he got on the roof out of fear. Again, the loss of life is terrible but real criminals were found on that farm as well as minors (some of them unaccompanied) working.
The real scandal here is that Mexico has grown dependent on people like Jaime. They send millions of dollars home every month and provide cash for families spread around the country. These "remesas" or remittances represent 3 to 5% of Mexico's GDP. It’s their best welfare program.
Another issue is that Mexican violence has killed tourists standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. Does Mexico want lawsuits for these safety concerns?
We understand that Jaime's death was unfortunate. Maybe Mexico should encourage its citizen to enter the U.S. legally and avoid these raids. There are millions of Mexicans living legally here and they don't have problems with ICE.
My guess is that this a PR stunt by the Mexican president and let's hope it stays like that.
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Image: Secretaría de Cultura CDMX