Mother of Ruben Ray Martinez, U.S. citizen killed by ICE, speaks out : NPR

Key Points:

• Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old aspiring mechanic from San Antonio, was fatally shot by an ICE agent during a traffic stop on March 15, 2025, marking the first of at least six deaths involving immigration agents since President Trump's second term began.
• Body camera footage released later shows conflicting accounts of the incident, with agents claiming Martinez accelerated and struck an officer, while videos suggest the car was moving slowly and it is unclear if any agent was hit.
• Martinez's friend and passenger, Joshua Orta, who witnessed the shooting, stated that Martinez did not hit anyone and that the agent fired without warning; Orta died in an unrelated crash months later.
• A Texas grand jury declined to charge the ICE agent involved, prompting calls from lawmakers and Martinez's family for an independent investigation into the shooting and ICE's delayed disclosure of its involvement.
• Martinez is remembered by his family as a shy, caring, and goofy young man who loved feeding stray cats and was close to his siblings; his mother continues to mourn deeply, especially around the anniversary of his death and his birthday.