Advocates Demand Protection for Witnesses After ICE Vehicle Strikes Houston Man
Advocates urge authorities to prevent the deportation of witnesses held in an ICE vehicle that struck a man in Houston, sparking calls for accountability.
POLICY WIRE — Houston, USA — Two men in handcuffs were inside an ICE vehicle on Saturday when it struck and injured Miguel Parra Hernandez, who was attempting to flee on foot. Advocates are now urgently calling for these men, who serve as key witnesses to the collision, to be shielded from deportation.
During a Wednesday news conference, attorneys and family members identified one of the detained men as 48-year-old Luis Delfín Enríquez. His sister, Nidia Delfín, stated that her brother was apprehended while heading to breakfast with employees and emphasized that he has no criminal record or outstanding warrants, noting he was actively pursuing a green card.
Cesar Espinosa of the immigrant rights group FIEL Houston, which represents the Parra family, asserted that the men inside the ICE vehicle witnessed the entire event. He characterized the collision as an intentional act, labeling it an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, though ICE has publicly dismissed these allegations as reckless and false.
The incident has drawn renewed scrutiny toward federal body camera policies. A Government Accountability Office report released Wednesday highlighted that both ICE and Customs and Border Protection lack specific operational guidance for body camera usage, potentially leading to failures in compliance despite recent directives from the Trump administration.
Security footage from the scene shows a white truck traveling against traffic before Parra and another individual, identified as Omar, exit the vehicle and run. An unmarked vehicle is then seen jumping a median and swerving toward Parra’s path; subsequent footage shows a man lying on the pavement behind the ICE vehicle.
Espinosa and attorney Kim Bruno expressed deep concern regarding Parra’s current status, noting that he remains hospitalized under the watch of ICE officers. They are demanding that he be allowed to remain at the facility to receive necessary medical treatment for his multiple injuries, as he has not yet been processed by the agency.
While ICE maintains that it was pursuing a different individual, Jose Mendoza Cervantes, advocates argue that the agency’s tactics during the pursuit were dangerously reckless. Espinosa displayed photos of both Omar and the intended target to clarify that Parra was not the person ICE was seeking.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
