The Rodríguez family’s story is emblematic of the profound follow-on effects that occur when the Supreme Court rules in any single given case.
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José Antonio Elena Rodríguez was 16 years old in 2012 when he was killed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent off the U.S.–Mexico border. After the agent was tried but found not guilty of second-degree murder, the boy’s family responded by suing the agent responsible to try to find some sense of justice. In June 2020, though, the family’s lawsuit ended anticlimactically in dismissal before a jury even had the chance to see any evidence.
Though it’s been more than a decade since José Antonio died, the Rodríguez family still struggles to find closure over the teenager’s death. “It has been very painful, and finding justice has been very slow,” Taide Elena, Rodríguez’s grandmother, told me. “I want this to be resolved. I want justice in this case because this is a way that José Antonio can rest.”The Rodríguez family still hopes to find legal grounds to pursue some type of litigation with the U.S. over José Antonio’s death. The court’s 2020 ruling in, though, makes that a virtual impossibility.
was held to honor him. Speeches were given by members of the teenager’s family, prayer circles were held, and there were musical performances, all steps away from the spot where Rodríguez was killed.
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