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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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A man was struck and killed on a Southern California freeway Thursday while fleeing a federal immigration raid at a Home Depot, authorities have said.
The fatal incident occurred in Monrovia, the Los Angeles County city nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, about 10 a.m. on Thursday, according to a press release issued by Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), however, said its agents did not pursue the man.
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"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," a DHS spokesperson told Newsweek.
Newsweek contacted the city of Monrovia for comment via email outside of regular office hours on Friday.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has directed his administration to remove millions of migrants without legal status as he looks to fulfill his campaign pledge of widespread mass deportations. The Republican leader ordered immigration enforcers to ramp up operations in Democratic-led sanctuary states.
The raid was one of several immigration enforcement operations carried out at Home Depot stores across Southern California in the past two months. Immigration authorities have been under growing scrutiny, with the agency at the center of the national debate over immigration policy. Concerns have been raised over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) enforcement practices.
What To Know
A Monrovia Police Department officer observed ICE agents at the Mountain Avenue store, after receiving a call at 9:43 a.m., Feik said.
After the collision, the man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries, Feik said.
The California Highway Patrol said it is investigating the death. Authorities have not yet released the man's name.
State Rep. John Harabedian, who represents the San Gabriel Valley, said federal officers detained 10 people during the operation.
"Today in Monrovia, federal immigration agents conducted a raid at Home Depot," Harabedian said in a statement on his Instagram story. "One individual, fearing for their safety, fled and was tragically struck by a vehicle. Ten people were detained during the operation."
A video recorded shortly after the incident shows a man in a black T-shirt lying near an inside lane. It happened on the 210 Freeway, NBC News reported.
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What People Are Saying
Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik said in a press release on Thursday: "We extend our condolences for the individual and his family. We also express our appreciation to the Monrovia Police Department and its volunteers, Monrovia Fire & Rescue as well as the California Highway Patrol."
Update, 08/15/25, 10:03 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional comment from DHS.
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