The Rule of Law at Work: Border agents beat an undocumented immigrant to death. The U.S. is paying his family $1 million.
Cleve R. Wootson, Jr. for the The Washington Post reports on a heartbreaking story of an immigrant death at the hands of Border Patrol officers.
The story of Anastacio Hernandez’s 2010 death at the Tijuana-San Diego border, shown in the video above shot by a bystander, exemplified the brutality of the law enforcement officers who patrolled the border and the impunity with which they act, advocates for Border Patrol reform say.
The United States settled a lawsuit with Hernandez’s estate last month, agreeing to pay $1 million to his five children and his common-law wife, Maria Puga. The battle could have dragged on in court, the family’s attorney said, but they were worried President Trump could make Hernandez’s death a political issue amid efforts to beef up border security.
Still, none of the agents involved have been fired or disciplined or “lost a dime of pay,” for a beating that broke five of Hernandez’s ribs, damaged his spine and ultimately killed him, according to the family’s attorney, who claims the immigrant was handcuffed as he was beaten.
KJ