Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry Confirms Death of Mexican Farmworker During ICE Raid

This article by Arturo Sánchez Jiménez originally appeared in the July 12, 2025 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier leftist daily newspaper.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) reported this Saturday the death of a Mexican farmworker who had been hospitalized since last Thursday, July 10, after being seriously injured during an immigration raid carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities at a cannabis farm in Southern California.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased compatriot following the accident that occurred on July 10 in Ventura County, California,” the agency said in a statement. It also stated that it will follow up on the events leading to his death through the External Legal Advisory Program (PALE).

The victim is Jaime Alanis García, who was admitted to the Ventura County Medical Center, where he remained brain-dead until his death this Saturday. According to US media, the Mexican-born worker suffered a fall of more than nine meters while trying to avoid arrest by immigration agents. Witnesses reported that he arrived at the hospital with skull and neck fractures and was declared brain-dead. However, authorities have not clarified the circumstances that led to his death.

Since Friday, various media outlets in the United States and international agencies reported that Alanís had died, citing the United Farm Workers union, which publicly denounced the incident as a result of the raid. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) indicated at the time that Alanís was still alive and receiving medical attention. Early Saturday morning, the Ventura County Medical Center reported, at the family’s request, that Alanís remained alive but in critical condition.

Family members and friends of the worker, through a video posted on social media, demanded clarification of the circumstances that led first to his hospitalization and then to his death. Jaime Alanis García had a wife and daughter who lived in Mexico and were dependent on him.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs detailed that the Mexican Consulate in Oxnard has provided constant support to the Mexican national’s family, both in the United States and Mexico, including support during his hospitalization, contact with his relatives in Michoacán, and efforts to expedite the repatriation of his remains.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that its consular network will continue to provide protection and assistance to Mexicans abroad, in compliance with human rights. In emergencies, the following consular lines are available: 520 623 7874 from the U.S. and 079 from Mexico.