A US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agent shot and killed Claudia Patricia Gómez González, a young Indigenous woman from Guatemala. Having graduated in 2016, Claudia – who hoped to pursue a career in accounting – struggled to find work in her native country. Therefore, she made the decision to move to the United States – where her longtime boyfriend lives – and help financially support her family in the Central American country. But soon after crossing the border, an agent killed her. The story has sent shockwaves throughout the United States and Guatemala. And as the family mourns and people call for justice, others have looked for ways to help Claudia’s family. One woman started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the young woman’s funeral costs.
On Wednesday, the CBP agent reportedly responding to a “report of illegal activity,” came across a group of undocumented immigrants. An initial report said “he came under attack by multiple subjects using blunt objects and called Claudia “one of the assailants.” The agency has since tweaked its message, describing her as “one member of the group” and said the immigrants refused to listen to get on the ground and “rushed him.” Since this story has gone viral, it’s been pointed out repeatedly that eyewitness Marta Martinez, who lives nearby and recorded the aftermath of the incident, didn’t see any weapons in the immigrants’ hands. “The girl was in the grass and trees; to me, she was hiding,” she said. “They’re saying they threw rocks at the agents, but the two migrants were scared and the one guy was scared – they didn’t have rocks in their hands.”
Her family has since talked about the kind of woman Claudia was and criticized the United States’ immigration policies and treatment of undocumented immigrants. People have come together to raise money for funeral expenses via GoFundMe. The page reads, “After hearing about this terrible murder, I contacted the family and got in touch with her cousin. He advised me that the family is in the process of getting her daughter back to the motherland and they would appreciate any help with covering funeral costs.” The campaign has already raised about $6,800 – nearly $2,000 more than the goal. You can donate here.
