Man injured after being struck by ICE vehicle while pursued in enforcement operation and fleeing on foot, officials say

Man Hospitalized After ICE Vehicle Strikes Him During Houston-Area Operation

Activelifezero.com – A man identified by immigration officials as Miguel Parra-Hernandez was hospitalized Saturday after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle struck him near Houston during an enforcement operation. Authorities said he suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening and was later placed in ICE custody.

The encounter began when federal agents attempted to stop a white pickup truck. Officials said Parra-Hernandez and Jose Mendoza-Cervantes exited the vehicle and ran away on foot. Mendoza-Cervantes was identified as the intended subject of the operation and remained at large after the incident.

Video Captures Parts of the Encounter

Surveillance footage appears to show two men leaving the pickup and fleeing as a dark, apparently unmarked vehicle accelerates in their direction. The available camera angle does not clearly show the exact point at which Parra-Hernandez was hit.

An ICE spokesperson said Parra-Hernandez moved into the path of the agency vehicle while running.

“Ran in front of an ICE vehicle.”

Harris County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Anthony McConnell said an ICE agent was attempting to block in Parra-Hernandez, who had been riding in the passenger seat, when the collision occurred. Deputies were dispatched after the incident, and investigators are seeking additional video from the area to clarify the sequence of events.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation with assistance from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Officials have not said whether Parra-Hernandez has an attorney.

Condition Described as Stable

ICE said personnel called emergency medical services immediately and provided aid at the scene. Parra-Hernandez was transported to a hospital for treatment of lower-body injuries and was listed in stable condition.

“We believe he has a broken leg and was checked out for any other injuries,” McConnell said during a news conference.

The agency described Parra-Hernandez as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Authorities did not release further details about his medical treatment or say when he might be released from the hospital.

Search Continues for Second Man

Federal officials are asking the public for information that could help locate Mendoza-Cervantes. ICE characterized him as a public-safety concern, citing prior arrests involving driving under the influence and unlawful firearm possession.

The agency said Mendoza-Cervantes has a final removal order issued by an immigration judge. It also said he had previously been deported twice and had unlawfully entered the United States five times.

Authorities described his departure from the stopped pickup as a dangerous effort to evade arrest. No information was released about where he may have gone after leaving the scene.

Vehicle Stops Face Growing Attention

The Houston-area case comes during heightened scrutiny of vehicle stops connected to immigration enforcement. Such encounters can rapidly become dangerous when drivers or passengers attempt to leave, whether in a vehicle or on foot, while officers are trying to make an arrest.

Earlier this week, federal immigration agents shot and wounded a driver in the Bronx during an incident in New York City. A 5-year-old child was in the back seat at the time. ICE said agents believed they were in danger after the driver refused orders to leave the vehicle.

Other recent cases have also drawn attention to the use of force during immigration operations. In July, ICE officers fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, in separate incidents roughly a week apart.

Those events have prompted questions about how vehicle stops are planned, how agents identify themselves and what safeguards are used when officers confront people inside moving or parked vehicles.

New Guidance for ICE Stops

New internal ICE guidance requires officers conducting vehicle stops to complete related training. The guidance also directs that vehicles used for those stops be equipped with lights and sirens.

The requirements are significant because clear identification and training can affect how a stop unfolds, particularly in fast-moving situations involving unmarked vehicles or people attempting to flee. It remains unclear whether the vehicle involved Saturday had any emergency lighting or siren equipment, or whether those standards applied to the operation.

Video evidence has become an important part of investigations involving federal agents. In some prior cases, witness statements and recordings have differed from initial accounts provided by the Department of Homeland Security. The fatal shooting of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis earlier this year, became one such example after video and eyewitness accounts raised questions about the agency’s description of the encounter.

Homeland Security initially said Good attempted to use her vehicle as a weapon against an officer. Her family filed two civil lawsuits connected to her death earlier this month.

For the Houston-area incident, investigators are expected to review surveillance recordings, accounts from witnesses and evidence gathered from the vehicles involved. The inquiry will focus on the circumstances leading up to the strike, the actions of the agents and the men who fled, and whether all relevant procedures were followed.