ICE agent driving vehicle that struck, injured Houston man is placed on administrative leave

Key Points:

• The ICE agent involved in the Houston incident where an immigrant, Miguel Parra Hernández, was allegedly run over has been placed on administrative leave as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigates.
• Multiple ICE officers at the scene were wearing body cameras, and ICE is reviewing the footage, though no decision has been made about releasing it publicly or sharing it with the Harris County district attorney’s office, which is conducting a separate investigation.
• Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare has interviewed a key witness, José Presa Cañada, who was handcuffed in the ICE vehicle at the time of the incident and is currently detained at the Port Isabel Processing Center; the DA's office plans to present findings to a grand jury possibly as soon as next week.
• The incident, which occurred on October 10 and resulted in Parra sustaining serious injuries requiring surgery, may lead to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges, with Teare asserting that video evidence suggests ICE intentionally hit Parra, an allegation ICE denies.
• The district attorney’s office is working to prevent the deportation of Parra and the two men in the ICE vehicle, coordinating with consulates and seeking to assist them with U visa applications as key witnesses in the criminal case.