Federal immigration officers were about a half-mile away last weekend in Michigan, authorities said Thursday.

A man in the U.S. illegally crashed a car at high speed and died there.

The statement from Homeland Security was meant to reject any claim that officers were in hot pursuit.

The crash happened Sunday morning in Grand Rapids and killed Mario Coronado Juarez, a native of Guatemala.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has directed state police to investigate the death, which has angered friends and activists.

Homeland Security said Juarez was not the specific target of officers.

He was driving a car registered to another person who was also in the U.S. illegally.

That person was wanted back in Guatemala.

The agency said officers tried to stop the car to confirm the driver's identity.

The driver then fled at a high rate of speed.

Officers immediately stopped the enforcement action for public safety, the agency said.

A short time later, officers saw smoke nearly half a mile away, according to Homeland Security.

They found the vehicle had crashed into a tree and caught fire.

The agency said officers tried to help Juarez and put out the fire.

Grand Rapids first responders arrived after that.

Juarez, who was in his 30s, died at the scene.

Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand supports a state police investigation.

He said Juarez's death happened during a national effort to create fear among immigrant neighbors.

Immigrant rights activist Gema Lowe said Juarez supported a wife and three children.

He worked in construction and was saving money to build a home in Guatemala.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten asked ICE to preserve any video recorded by officers.