HUAJÚMBARO DE GUADALUPE, Mexico — Jaime Alanis García, 56, is believed to be the first known fatality linked to the Trump administration’s worksite enforcement raids, dying after a July 10 incident at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, California.
His cortege wound its way up a dirt path on Saturday, past well-appointed homes that stood in contrast to the rock-strewn lane leading to the hilltop cemetery in this community of about 1,500 in Michoacán.
A Life of Labor and Longing
Alanis García’s brick-and-concrete home was a legacy of his generation of immigrants. Like many men from this village, he left to work in California’s fields and factories, sending money back to build his family’s future.
The chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where his funeral Mass was held, was also financed by immigrant remittances.
Residents of Huajúmbaro de Guadalupe bid their final farewell to Jaime Alanis García, who was fatally injured when he climbed atop a greenhouse and fell 30 feet while fleeing immigration agents in Camarillo.
Alanis García, 56, was fatally injured when he fell 30 feet from atop a greenhouse while fleeing immigration agents at the Glass House site in Camarillo, relatives say. Mexican consular officials arranged for his body to be shipped back from California.
“He was like so many of us, a hardworking person who went to California to earn a living, to help his family,” said Rosa María Zamora, 70, a native of Huajúmbaro de Guadalupe, visiting from Houston. “For us, California represented an opportunity, a chance to improve our horizons.”
Zamora, who left for California a quarter-century ago to join her husband, a field worker, added, “It’s so sad that Señor Jaime came back in this way.” She was among about 200 mourners.
“Look how many people there are here today,” said Manuel Durán, Alanis García’s brother-in-law, who traveled from Oxnard, where Alanis García lived. “He was very beloved.”
Durán wore a T-shirt with Alanis García’s photo and the text “In Loving Memory.” The back featured the hashtag #justiceforJaime, reflecting family members’ assertion that the July 10 operation was reckless.
“We want justice, please,” said Janet Alanis, 32, his daughter. “Tell everyone that all we ask for is justice.”
The Department of Homeland Security defended the raid, stating that agents called for medical assistance for Alanis García, who, according to an autopsy, suffered head and neck injuries. Authorities reported over 300 arrests during the operation.
Residents of Huajúmbaro de Guadalupe gather for the funeral of Jaime Alanis García, whom many had not seen since he was a teenager.
Alanis Garcia left Huajúmbaro de Guadalupe as a young man but provided for his wife and daughter, who remained here. He last visited his hometown 17 years ago, for his daughter’s quinceañera.
Stricter border enforcement has made it difficult for many undocumented immigrants to visit family in Mexico.
News of U.S. immigration raids has stoked anxiety in Mexican communities. “My husband tells me that the situation there is very difficult. There’s a lot of fear that people could get arrested,” said Margarita Cruz, 47, who attended the funeral.
Her husband left for California 15 years ago and last visited four years ago. “Here we survive thanks to the money that our husbands and sons send back from the United States,” Cruz said. “Now, everyone’s worried that they will deport our relatives. What will we do? There is no work here.”
Rural Mexico, particularly Michoacán, faces challenges from organized crime, with rival gangs battling for control of rackets. On Friday, a state police officer accompanying Alanis García’s body from California warned journalists to leave town by sundown due to danger.
“Don’t be caught here after dark,” the officer said, brandishing an assault rifle. “It’s very, very dangerous here. Two groups are fighting for control.”
Community members bid their final farewell to Jaime Alanis García in his hometown in the Mexican state of Michoacán.
Saturday’s procession to the church was peaceful. A 12-piece band played mournful tunes as men shouldered the wooden casket up the hill to the cemetery. Many held umbrellas against the midday sun.
At the cemetery, mourners placed a crucifix on Alanis García’s chest. His photo lay inside the coffin. Family members prayed the rosary, asking the Virgin Mary, “Queen of the migrants,” to intercede.
The coffin was lowered into the grave, with mourners tossing roses. Relatives said Alanis García, like so many immigrants, always wanted to return home to his family.
His widow, Leticia Cruz Vázquez, wailed, “I didn’t want him like this!” before fainting. Neighbors carried her away.
