Family shocked as Texas man run over by ICE SUV during a pursuit in west Harris County: ‘I just assumed he had one broken leg’
‘Chaos and destruction.’
Miguel Parra-Hernandez is currently recovering in a hospital after being struck by a vehicle operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. According to ABC13, the incident took place around 7.30 a.m. on Saturday, October 10, 2026, near Highway 6 North and Clay Road in west Harris County, Texas. His family says he is suffering from broken bones in both legs following the collision.
The event unfolded while federal agents were attempting to track down another man, identified as Jose Mendoza-Cervantes. ICE reported that agents were targeting Mendoza-Cervantes because he had received a final order of removal from a judge. Authorities noted that Mendoza-Cervantes had been arrested four times for driving under the influence. He was also arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm. The suspect remained at large as of Saturday morning.
Surveillance footage captured the moment the officer chased Parra-Hernandez and hit him with the vehicle. The Harris County Sheriff’s office confirmed that the victim was taken to a hospital after the impact. His niece, Natxielly Castañeda, provided an update on his condition to the public. She explained that he is able to speak but remains heavily sedated.
The family initially expected a less severe outcome
Castañeda shared her reaction to the news of his condition. “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,” she said. “Pretty much, this was devastating for me to hear.”
Castañeda also noted that her uncle has lived in the United States for more than 30 years. She added that he was actively working toward obtaining citizenship. She expressed frustration regarding the reputation of the local community. “Most Hispanic communities are here to work. We are here to work. We are here not to cause problems,” she said.
This incident raises significant concerns about the tactics used by federal agents during immigration enforcement operations. A memo dated September 30 indicates that officers are not authorized to engage in vehicle pursuits. The document also states that agents cannot use precision immobilization techniques against vehicles that fail to pull over. Instead, the instructions require officers to collect vehicle information for later investigation.
Dr. Greg Fremin, a retired Houston Police Department officer who teaches criminal justice at the University of Houston-Downtown, pointed out that law enforcement must justify the use of a vehicle to stop a suspect. “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.”
He explained that the use of a vehicle as a stop method depends on whether a person poses an imminent threat to the public. “It’s a case-by-case example,” he said. He added that officers must be able to justify any actions involving potentially deadly force.
The criticism of DHS is growing
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees ICE and has faced increased criticism during the second presidency of Donald Trump. The agency is under fire for its aggressive approach to arrests, detention, and deportation. Reports indicate that more than 30 people have died in 2026 during interactions with immigration officials.
Other recent events have added to the scrutiny of federal agents. On Thursday, an ICE agent shot a man in New York City who was in a vehicle with a five-year-old child. Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a statement regarding that encounter. Markwayne Mullin, the homeland security secretary for the Trump administration, later said that ICE had studied the pattern of life of the man but did not know a child was in the vehicle.
Another incident occurred on Friday morning in Fresno, California. The Guardian reports that a 72-year-old man shot an off-duty ICE official who was accused of attacking the man and his daughter. The official was described as being intoxicated and agitated during the event.
Local officials are speaking out about the impact of these operations
Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones commented on the situation following the collision on Saturday. “Under the Trump administration, ICE has brought chaos and destruction to communities across our country,” Briones stated. She also described herself as feeling horrified by the specific case of Parra-Hernandez. She called for the agency to release any relevant video footage to the sheriff’s office.
The DHS has not addressed questions regarding the name of the officer involved in the Saturday crash. It is also unclear if the officer was wearing a body-worn camera, which is a requirement under current ICE policy.
The agency did not respond to inquiries about whether the pursuit complied with official internal guidelines. Dozens of supporters gathered near the site of the collision to show solidarity with Parra-Hernandez. His family expects him to survive his injuries.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
