Folks, I’m sipping my coffee and reading about this tragic story from Florida, where a Mexican man, Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, was struck and killed by a tractor trailer after running from federal immigration officers. Apparently, he was vacationing in the United States with a tourist visa, according to a Mexico official and a group assisting his wife. I mean, who hasn’t had a tourist visa and almost gotten hit by a truck, right? Okay, maybe that’s just me being sarcastic.
So, Coronilla Durán, 28, died on July 14 after authorities said he darted across a busy road in St. Augustine and into the path of a truck. His death was the third in roughly a week involving encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, following fatal shootings in Texas and Maine. I guess you could say it’s been a rough week for immigration news.
Now, according to Isaret Jeffers, founder of Colectivo Arbol, a farmworkers advocacy group, Coronilla Durán traveled from his hometown of San Luis de la Paz, in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, to Atlanta to visit family and friends. He had stayed in Georgia for three weeks before traveling to Florida’s east coast to enjoy the beaches. Who can blame him, really? I love a good beach vacation.
US authorities have not publicly identified the man, but a Mexico official confirmed his name. Jeffers said Yezzika Alamilla, the man’s wife, told them he had been visiting the US on a tourist visa. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment about whether Coronilla Durán had a valid visa. I’m sure it’s just a big coincidence that they haven’t commented yet.
Authorities say Coronilla Durán was one of four people in a vehicle that stopped in a gas station parking lot before 7 a.m. on the day he died. The four fled on foot during an encounter with agents from ICE and Homeland Security Investigations, with one darting across a busy road into the path of the semi. It’s unclear what prompted the encounter and what happened to the vehicle’s other three occupants. I’m sure it’s all just a big mystery.
The Highway Patrol and DHS have not provided additional details, citing the ongoing investigation. Because, you know, investigations take time, and we can’t just rush into things. Alamilla called Colectivo Arbol, which provides legal advice and assistance to farmworkers in Central Florida, the day after her husband died, seeking help to travel from Mexico and repatriate her husband’s remains.
According to information provided by the widow, Coronilla Durán “had been in the United States for only a very short time (and) had a tourist visa,” said Susana Guerra Vallejo, the undersecretary for assistance to migrants and mobility issues for the Mexican state of Guanajuato. Alamilla would be able to see the body of her husband at the Florida funeral home. Coronilla Durán’s body will be transported to Mexico on a commercial flight from Orlando, Guerra Vallejo told The Associated Press.
Coronilla Durán and Alamilla had two children, a 7-month-old girl and a 7-year-old boy. I can only imagine how tough this must be for them. His death was at least the 10th involving encounters with immigration agents since President Donald Trump launched his mass deportation campaign last year. The Mexican government said it had asked state attorneys general in the US to review the deaths of migrants in ICE custody or during raids for possible criminal prosecution.
In conclusion, this is just a sad story all around, and I’m not sure what to make of it. I mean, a guy on a tourist visa gets killed by a truck while running from immigration officers – it’s just a weird and tragic series of events. And now his wife and kids are left to deal with the aftermath. As I finish my coffee, I’m just shaking my head and thinking, “well, that’s just a terrible way to start the day.”
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
