ICE officer appeared to intentionally strike man with vehicle in Houston: Prosecutor

Texas prosecutors said they are weighing criminal charges after they alleged an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer appeared to intentionally hit a man with a vehicle in Houston over the weekend.

Miguel Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old undocumented immigrant, was driving to work Saturday morning when federal authorities attempted to pull him over in unmarked vehicles, according to Cesar Espinosa, the executive director of immigrant rights group FIEL Houston.

Parra Hernandez stopped his car, and he and his passenger attempted to run away. ICE said in a statement to The Texas Tribune Saturday that Parra Hernandez was struck after he ran in front of one of the unmarked cars. However, surveillance footage from this incident shows the two men running away while an SUV veers and hits Parra Hernandez.

Espinosa said in a Monday statement that Parra Hernandez would need to undergo surgery, as his leg was broken in three places as a result of the collision.

“We demand answers and transparency from all agencies involved,” the FIEL executive director said. “The community needs to know the identities of the agents and if there are charges that are filed for the wrongdoing committed.”

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, a Democrat, announced Monday that his office had opened an investigation into the alleged use of force and requested assistance from the community.

“ICE tactics in our community are growing more brazen and more dangerous,” Teare said in a statement shared on social media. “High-speed pursuits and aggressive operations on busy streets put everyone at risk. No badge puts anyone above the law in Harris County and we will continue to follow evidence wherever it may lead.”

Teare told local outlet ABC13 on Tuesday he believed the ICE agent intentionally struck Parra Hernandez with his vehicle and that “a charging decision is going to come in a relatively short order in this case.”

This incident follows the July fatal ICE-involved shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. Additionally, an ICE agent shot and injured Wilber Rafael Garces Perez last month in Austin while he was working as a food delivery driver in the city. Both of these incidents are currently under investigation.

The Hill has reached out to DHS and ICE for comment.