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ICYMI: Juan Coronilla-Guerrero Killed in Mexico After Being Taken by ICE from Travis County Courthouse

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Arrested in February, Coronilla Guerrero’s wife told judge that Coronilla-Guerrero faced death if he was deported

Austin, TX – Juan Coronilla Guerrero was forcibly taken from a Travis County Courthouse in February, deported, and according to the Austin American-Statesman, killed by gangs that took him from his bed while he slept.

This tragedy again highlights the existential danger faced by those who are deported. Many leave their countries out of fear for their safety, and once deported, become targets for criminals and gangs.

Coronilla-Guerrero’s case also highlights the continuous unconstitutional and unethical practice carried out by ICE of targeting people during court hearings.

This is far from the first time individuals have been deported despite the real threats that exist in their countries of origin. Just last month, a deported man from Painesville, Ohio was kidnappedafter he became a target to gangs upon his forced return to Mexico.

Below is an excerpt from from the Ryan Autullo and Taylor Goldenstein’s piece in the Statesman. Find the piece in its entirety here.

Juan Coronilla-Guerrero’s wife warned a federal judge this spring that her husband would be killed if the U.S. government followed through with his deportation.

Her prediction came true last week. Three months after the former Austin resident was taken back to central Mexico by federal authorities, his body was found on the side of a road in San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato, near where he had been living with his wife’s family.

Coronilla-Guerrero’s death comes six months after federal immigration agents took the rare step of entering the Travis County criminal courthouse to detain him on charges of illegal re-entry — a move that escalated fears about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s crackdown on unauthorized immigrants.

“I knew,” said Coronilla-Guerrero’s wife, who has returned to Mexico and spoke to the American-Statesman on the condition of anonymity because she fears for her family’s safety. “I knew that if he came back here, they were going to kill him, and look, that’s what happened.

That’s what happened.”

Follow Mario Carrillo and America’s Voice: Texas on Twitter: @_mariocarrillo_  and @AmericasVoice

America’s Voice: Texas– Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform

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