At least seven people were killed and more injured when a car plowed into pedestrians in Brownsville in 2019. Texas. According to police, the car hit people when they were in front of the reception center for migrants.

The accident occurred at 8:30 a.m. local time near the Ozanam Center, a shelter for immigrants and the homeless, CBS 4 and NBC 23 reported, citing Brownsville police spokesman Martin Sandoval.

Among the dead are immigrants, Sandoval said in an interview with Fox News.

The car “crushed several people waiting at the bus stop,” Sandoval told local television.

He added that seven people were killed, the driver of the vehicle was detained and is being treated. Sandoval said he would be charged with dangerous driving, but he could face other charges later that day.

Whether it was an accident or a deliberate act, the investigation will establish, he said.

According to eyewitnesses, “the car lost control. It is now being investigated whether it was an accident or a deliberate act,” Sandoval said.

The incident comes as authorities prepare to lift Thursday a sanitary measure known as Section 42, which allows for the immediate deportation of immigrants. The expiration of the measure raises concerns among the authorities about the peak of illegal immigration to the United States.

The homeless center in front of which the incident took place is currently housing migrants due to the “current influx”, according to a police spokesman.