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A message from League of United Latin American Citizens
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View as web page:
[link removed]
July 18, 2023
Contact: David Cruz - (818) 689-9991 Mobile
[email protected]
LULAC CALLS FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO DRIVING WHILE LATINO ON AMERICA'S
INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS
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LULAC Joins Family of 38-Year-Old Daniel Barajas, Who Was Killed on the I-30
While Driving To Texas To Meet His Sisters' Newborn Babies
Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is deeply
saddened by the tragic death of Daniel Barajas, a hardworking Latino who lost his
life under alarming circumstances. On January 2022, while driving to Texas on
I-30, Daniel Barajas was killed outside Little Rock, Arkansas, shortly after
being confronted by law enforcement officers as he slept in his car. LULAC
condemns any act of injustice and demands a thorough investigation into this case
to bring the truth to light.
LULAC National President, Domingo Garcia, stated, "Police officers, deputies, and
state troopers should be following the law too when they do their jobs. But what
happened to Daniel Barajas outside of Little Rock, Arkansas, on a dark freeway,
at night, in the rain and cold, raises questions that need answers. Let me be
clear to all law enforcement officers who see Latino travelers on a section of an
interstate crossing their jurisdiction. We will not be your ATM, easy targets, or
abuse victims."
LULAC stands firmly against discrimination and mistreatment towards Latinos, and
law enforcement agencies must recognize and respect the rights and dignity of
every individual they encounter. The statistics are alarming, with Latinos being
2.5 times more likely to get stopped and experiencing a 69% higher chance of
being searched, having their possessions seized, false arrests, and higher
incidents of injuries or death. These disparities highlight the urgent need for
comprehensive reform to ensure fair treatment and protection for all individuals,
regardless of ethnicity or background.
For the past 18 months, Xexilia and Raquel Barajas, the siblings of Daniel
Barajas, have tirelessly sought answers regarding the circumstances surrounding
their brother's untimely death. It has come to light that law enforcement
officers encountered Daniel sleeping in his car along an on-ramp just minutes
before his tragic death. Despite suspecting him of hallucinating and drugs, a
subsequent K9 search of his vehicle revealed nothing incriminating. Nevertheless,
the officers ordered Daniel not to drive due to his alleged mental condition but
abandoned him on the interstate. Astonishingly, Daniel's keys, phone, wallet, and
a money box he carried were never found. Eleven minutes later, he was fatally
struck by two cars and an 18-wheeler. No body cam video or incident scene photos
have been released, and significant evidence from the coroner's report has
mysteriously gone missing.
Even more distressing, law enforcement officers from states located hundreds of
miles away immediately contacted Barajas' family members at their homes following
his death, inquiring about alleged drug activity. Once again, these
investigations yielded no evidence of any illicit involvement. Such actions raise
serious concerns about the integrity and impartiality of Daniel Barajas' death
investigation.
"LULAC is here to issue a warning loud and clear," says Garcia. "Watch out if you
are an officer stopping, searching, arresting, or harming a Latino on an
interstate freeway. We demand that existing statutes be used to investigate and
prosecute you to the fullest extent of FEDERAL civil rights laws! This is a
promise."
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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and
oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans
and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000
councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and
advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of
today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org [ [link removed] ] .
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