Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare says surveillance footage suggests an ICE agent used a vehicle to intentionally strike a man in Houston. The incident has prompted an investigation and criticism of federal immigration enforcement.
A Texas prosecutor stated that a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent appeared to use a vehicle to intentionally strike a man who was running in Houston. The incident has led to an investigation by the Harris County District Attorney’s office, which could result in criminal charges.
Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, was struck by a car on Saturday and required surgery for a broken leg, according to Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston, an immigrant rights organization assisting the man’s family. Espinosa said Parra Hernandez had been in the U.S. for 34 years and was on his way to work when the encounter began. Espinosa declined to share Parra Hernandez’s immigration status.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, a Democrat, expressed concern over surveillance footage showing Parra Hernandez and another person jumping out of a white truck and running as a dark SUV pursued them. The footage shows a vehicle striking Parra Hernandez, who is seen on the ground seconds later.
Tim Oberle, a spokesperson for ICE in Houston, provided a different account in a statement sent to The Texas Tribune on Saturday. "As ICE officers attempted to apprehend the illegal aliens, Miguel Parra-Hernandez ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck," Oberle said.
Teare told FOX 26 Houston that the surveillance footage suggested intentional action. "In a case like this, the most obvious criminal charge is aggravated assault with a deadly weapon," Teare said. "Meaning the car was used as a deadly weapon. And it certainly is what appears to have happened based on the surveillance footage."
Spokespersons for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Espinosa reported that Parra Hernandez underwent surgery for an injury under his knee and is waiting for swelling in his ankle to subside before undergoing reconstructive surgery. Espinosa also stated that he saw two ICE agents in Parra Hernandez's hospital room during a visit.
Teare noted that ICE and DHS have not cooperated with his office during the current investigation. This lack of cooperation mirrors a previous incident in July, where Teare said DHS ignored his request for information after an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. That shooting was one of at least 10 deaths involving encounters with immigration officers since the start of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
This incident has intensified criticism of federal immigration enforcement in Houston. It follows a pattern of local prosecutors investigating federal agents, highlighting tensions between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities regarding transparency and accountability in use-of-force incidents.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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