Tell Congress to investigate the killing of Ruben Ray Martinez by immigration agents!

Ruben Ray Martinez was shot and killed by Homeland Security Investigations officers on South Padre Island last March. The public is only learning the story now.

According to The Texas Tribune and the Associated Press, DHS agents fatally shot Martinez after claiming he drove into officers during a stop. Records show agents had surrounded his car and fired multiple times. The number of shots has not been publicly disclosed. Martinez was a U.S. citizen.

Even more alarming: as MPR News reports, DHS kept key details about the killing secret for nearly eight months. The agency did not publicly confirm the involvement of immigration officers until records were obtained this year.

This secrecy follows troubling patterns in federal immigration enforcement: ICE’s initial claims about Renée Good’s killing in Minneapolis were later disputed by video evidence showing a different sequence of events than government accounts. Likewise, Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and ICU nurse, was shot and killed by federal agents amid Minneapolis protests during “Operation Metro Surge,” with video and witness accounts raising serious questions about the official narrative. 

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro has publicly called for a full investigation, including why DHS concealed information about Martinez’s killing. Congress must act.

At a time when Trump’s mass deportation machine is expanding enforcement nationwide, immigration agents are operating with sweeping power and too little oversight. When federal officers kill a U.S. citizen and withhold the truth for months, that demands accountability.

Add your name now and tell Congress: no more cover-ups. Investigate the killing of Ruben Ray Martinez and hold DHS accountable.

Thanks,
Mary