NORFOLK, Va. — A man who was reportedly trying to run from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents Thursday morning was struck and killed by a car on Interstate 264 in Norfolk, officials said.
ICE identified the man as Jose Castro-Rivera, saying he was in the country illegally.
According to the agency, officers were attempting to detain him when he ran into traffic and was hit by a passing vehicle. ICE said officers performed CPR, but Castro-Rivera died at the scene.
“This horrendous outcome could have been prevented had Castro-Rivera complied with our officers,” an ICE spokesperson said in a statement to News 3.
Immigration attorneys and advocates across Virginia say the tragedy underscores a growing climate of fear among immigrant communities as ICE enforcement efforts ramp up nationwide.
“It’s just tragic that someone is going to risk their life because of something that’s going on of that degree,” said Andrew Reigel, an immigration attorney with Valverde Law in Virginia Beach. “Chicago, L.A., New York — it’s happening everywhere. When something like this happens nearby, it brings it more to life.”
Advocates say the rise in aggressive enforcement actions is creating anxiety not only among undocumented immigrants but also among those living legally in the U.S.
“We are being targeted,” said Eduardo Zelaya with We Are CASA, an organization advocating for immigrant rights. “This goes beyond ideology — it’s transforming into policy. Just because of the way we look or if we have an accent, we are being targeted.”
Reigel said his office has received an increasing number of calls from immigrants worried about being detained. He urged community members to learn their rights and seek legal advice.
“Knowledge is power,” Reigel said. “Knowing what you can and can’t do, and what’s going to happen if you are detained, puts you in a better position to make wiser choices.”
As the national debate over immigration enforcement continues, both attorneys and advocates say they’re thinking about the man whose attempt to escape ended in tragedy.
Below is the full statement News 3 from the senior DHS official:
"On Oct. 23, ICE officers made a vehicle stop as part of a targeted, intelligence-based immigration enforcement operation. Upon determining that the occupants were in the United States illegally, officers began detaining the occupants of the targeted vehicle. However, one of the vehicle's occupants, Jose Castro-Rivera resisted heavily and fled the scene onto a busy highway, creating a significant safety risk to himself and the general public. Unfortunately, a passing vehicle struck Castro-Rivera.
One of our ICE officers administered CPR to Castro-Rivera in an attempt to keep him alive. Unfortunately, Castro-Rivera perished. The officer then informed the three detained aliens that their friend had deceased. He then grieved and prayed with them.
The death of this illegal alien is a direct result of every politician, activist and reporter who continue to spread propaganda and misinformation about ICE’s mission and ways to avoid detention, that has emboldened illegal aliens to resist our federal law enforcement officers. Sadly, this is the tragic result of such resistance. This horrendous outcome could have been prevented had Castro-Rivera complied with our officers.”
