A 24-year-old Honduran man fleeing federal immigration agents in Virginia has tragically died after being struck by a vehicle. Josué Castro Rivera was involved in a chaotic incident that unfolded when his vehicle was stopped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on Thursday. Castro Rivera, who was on his way to a gardening job, fled on foot during the stop, ultimately making a desperate attempt to cross Interstate 264 in Norfolk, where he was fatally hit.
Recent reports highlight similar incidents across the country, raising alarms about the dangers faced by immigrants amid intensified enforcement actions under the Trump administration's policies. In Castro Rivera's case, his brother, Henry Castro, recounted that the young man moved to the United States four years ago to provide financial support to their family in Honduras.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the vehicle was stopped as part of a targeted operation against individuals living in the U.S. without legal permission. However, the circumstances surrounding Castro Rivera's tragic death have stirred public outcry. In a statement, DHS claimed he ‘resisted heavily and fled’ during the encounter and later blamed his death on the “propaganda” spread about ICE's operations.
Virginia State Police confirmed that they responded to the crash around 11 a.m. Thursday, and Castro Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene after being struck by a pickup truck. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with his family seeking to raise funds to transport his body back to Honduras for burial.
The outcry following Castro Rivera's death is compounded by a series of similar tragedies. Just last month, another Mexican immigrant was shot during an ICE operation in Chicago, where initial reports were quickly dismissed when body camera footage contradicted DHS claims. As immigrant streets confront continuous enforcement, advocates are calling for investigations and reforms to prevent further loss of life amid these operations.
