HOUSTON – A Texas prosecutor says a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent may have deliberately used a vehicle to hit a man who fled on foot in Houston. The investigation by his office could lead to criminal charges.
Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, underwent surgery for a broken leg after being struck by a car Saturday, according to Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston. The immigrant rights group is assisting Parra Hernandez’s family.
The incident has intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement in Houston, where local prosecutors are also examining a fatal shooting by an immigration officer in July.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, a Democrat, said surveillance video raised concerns. The footage shows Parra Hernandez and another person getting out of a white truck and running as a dark SUV follows them. Moments later, the vehicle strikes Parra Hernandez, who is shown on the ground.
“In a case like this, the most obvious criminal charge is aggravated assault with a deadly weapon,” Teare told FOX 26 Houston. “Meaning the car was used as a deadly weapon. And it certainly is what appears to have happened based on the surveillance footage.”
Tim Oberle, an ICE spokesperson in Houston, offered 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,” he said.
Spokespersons for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not immediately respond Tuesday to an email requesting comment.
Espinosa said Parra Hernandez had lived in the United States for 34 years and was traveling to work when the encounter began. He declined to disclose Parra Hernandez’s immigration status.
During a hospital visit, Espinosa said he saw two ICE agents in Parra Hernandez’s room.
“He already had a surgery for the injury under his knee and now we’re waiting for swelling to go down in his ankle to be able to have a reconstructive surgery on his ankle,” Espinosa said.
Teare said ICE and DHS have not cooperated with his office’s investigation into the crash.
Teare said DHS likewise failed to respond to his request for information after an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in July. That death was among at least 10 reported fatalities tied to encounters with immigration officers since President Donald Trump began his mass deportation campaign.
