Rep. Escobar asks DOJ to investigate Hudspeth migrant shooting as hate crime

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) sent the Department of Justice a letter on Thursday asking the department to investigate the deadly migrant shooting in Hudspeth County as a hate crime.

The migrant shot and killed was identified as Jesús Sepúlveda Martinez and the woman migrant shot and injured was identified as Berenice Casias Carrillo.

"This attack on a group of migrants stopping for a water break is just the most recent manifestation of the rising racist and xenophobic sentiment for those who have come to the United States seeking a better life," the lawmakers stated in the letter.

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The letter was also co-signed by U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13), Jesús "Chuy" Garcia (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Henry "Hank" Johnson (GA-04), André Carson (IN-07), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Al Green (TX-09), Raul M. Grijalva (AZ-03), Suzanna Bonamici (OR-01), Cori Bush (MO-01), Nanette Diaz Barragan (CA-44), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), and Raul Ruiz (CA-36).