Texas man injured in ICE vehicle collision remains in custody
Miguel Parra-Hernandez, 48, suffered multiple leg injuries after being struck by an ICE SUV during a traffic stop in Houston and is still being held by the agency while awaiting surgery.
A 48-year-old Texas resident was seriously injured when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle ran him over during a weekend traffic stop in Houston, Harris County. Miguel Parra-Hernandez suffered a shattered ankle, hip and multiple leg fractures after the SUV, driven by an officer pursuing two men who fled from a pickup truck, veered into him as he ran across a shopping-center parking lot.
ICE officials said the agency was attempting to stop a different suspect, Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, and that Parra-Hernandez was not the target. Video released by local ABC affiliate KTRK shows an unmarked dark SUV following Parra-Hernandez and moving toward him before the impact.
Parra-Hernandez’s attorney, Kim Bruno, and Cesar Espinosa, executive director of immigrant-rights group FIEL Houston, told reporters that he remains in ICE custody and will require additional surgery and weeks of recovery. Bruno said Parra-Hernandez fled because he did not recognize the vehicle’s occupants, and neither he nor his passenger knew Mendoza-Cervantes.
"He was hit in a violent and brutal fashion," Espinosa said.
The ICE vehicle was not using a siren or flashing lights, according to the representatives. In October, ICE issued new traffic-stop guidelines requiring vehicles to be equipped with lights and sirens, though use is not mandatory, and prohibiting officers from chasing vehicles that refuse to stop.
Parra-Hernandez was taken to a hospital where doctors indicated he cannot bear weight on his leg for at least six weeks and must wait for swelling to subside before reconstructive surgery. He remained on the ground for several minutes after the collision, witnesses said.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare confirmed his office is investigating the incident. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office stated it was contacted by ICE after the crash, noting the agency has faced nationwide criticism during Donald Trump’s second presidency for its enforcement tactics. The Guardian has sought comment from ICE.