An ICE SUV chased one man in Harris County and struck another who ran, leaving him with injuries to both legs: ‘Pretty much, this was devastating’

An SUV that ICE agents were driving ran over a man during a chase in west Harris County, Texas, his family says, according to ABC13. The injury happened Saturday morning on Clay Road near Highway 6, after the man ran from the vehicle, which was following someone else. He is in the hospital with severe injuries, and dozens of supporters came to the area.

The man is Miguel Parra-Hernandez. Natxielly Castañeda, his niece, described him as sedated but able to talk, and relatives expect that he will survive. She said her uncle came to the country more than three decades ago and has been working to become a citizen. “They had told us he had a broken leg. I just assumed he had one broken leg, but right now they’re telling me he has two broken legs,” Castañeda said. “Pretty much, this was devastating for me to hear.”

According to ICE, the agents wanted a different man who was in the vehicle with him, and a judge had issued that man a final removal order. The agency told local reporters he “ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck,” and that it identified him as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. ICE did not say if agents were aware of his status ahead of time.

Accounts of the pursuit differ

The family and advocates dispute parts of that version. Cesar Espinosa, director of the advocacy group FIEL Houston, spoke at a Monday news conference. He said at least three firsthand witnesses are prepared to give accounts supporting the family’s position. Accounts also differ on timing. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office placed the incident around 7:20 a.m., while ICE placed its operation around 8:30 a.m.

Surveillance video the station obtained appears to show an unmarked SUV veering through empty parking spaces before the impact. At the news conference, Espinosa said the man’s right leg is broken in three places and that he also has a fractured ankle and an injury near his hip. “We do want to clarify that both legs are injured, but they’re not both broken,” Espinosa said.

He has had surgery, and more procedures are planned once the swelling goes down. Doctors expect about six weeks before he can put weight on the leg, according to that coverage, and FIEL Houston said he remains in ICE custody at the hospital.

The sheriff’s office is investigating the collision, and District Attorney Sean Teare opened a criminal investigation of his own. Teare said that “that individual was intentionally struck and run over,” and said of ICE’s account, “Anyone that looks at that video knows that that’s not what happened.” He also said an ICE agent “jumped into the vehicle and drove it off of the scene” after investigators began drafting a search warrant.

Prosecutors are looking at a possible aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge. KPRC reached out to the Department of Homeland Security about those claims, and its report did not include a response. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones called on ICE to cooperate with deputies and release all video. Calls for footage also followed a man shot by ICE in New York City on Oct. 8.

ABC News obtained a Sept. 30 ICE memo stating, “Under no circumstances are officers authorized to engage in vehicle pursuits or PIT maneuvers” for vehicles that fail to pull over. An ICE spokesperson called the guidance “nothing new.” The station asked ICE if Saturday’s chase followed agency rules but received no response.

Dr. Greg Fremin retired from the Houston Police Department and now lectures in criminal justice with the University of Houston-Downtown. He said he has concerns. “We do know that the vehicle veered and struck him. I do have concerns about that,” Fremin said. “We don’t know what was going through the ICE agent’s mind.”