ICE Agents in Houston Accused of Injuring Man With Vehicle During Enforcement Operation
An immigration enforcement operation in Houston turned violent over the weekend when an ICE agent struck a man with a vehicle, leaving him hospitalized and in federal custody, while another individual remains at large. According to Harris County Sheriff’s Office Major Anthony McConnell, the incident occurred as agents attempted to apprehend a passenger. “In an attempt to capture the passenger, the ICE agent was trying to box him in the backside of the building at the corner and struck the passenger,” McConnell said during a Saturday press conference. The injured man, identified as 48-year-old Parra-Hernandez, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and remains in stable condition. ICE stated it “immediately contacted EMS and provided aid” to him. He is currently in ICE custody at the hospital, according to HCSO.
The second man, Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, fled the scene on foot and remained unaccounted for as of Saturday evening. “He remained at large as of Saturday morning,” the sheriff’s office said. The incident has drawn attention from local officials, with the Harris County Attorney’s Office expressing support for an independent investigation. “My office supports Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and District Attorney Sean Teare in their ongoing independent investigation, and the Harris County Attorney’s Office stands ready to assist and support these critical efforts,” the office said in a statement.
This episode comes amid heightened scrutiny over vehicle stops in immigration enforcement operations. In July, two immigrants—Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine—were fatally shot by ICE officers in separate incidents about a week apart. Those deaths have fueled concerns about the tactics used during such stops, particularly when vehicles are involved. The latest Houston incident is likely to intensify calls for greater oversight and transparency in how ICE conducts enforcement actions in communities.
As the investigation continues, questions remain about the circumstances that led to the agent striking Parra-Hernandez and why Mendoza-Cervantes was able to escape. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and ICE have not released further details. Meanwhile, the injured man remains in the hospital under ICE custody, and authorities are still searching for Mendoza-C
Shimanta Das 
