Two Men Handcuffed Inside the ICE Vehicle Remain at Risk of Removal
Immigrant rights advocates sounded the alarm Wednesday over the fate of two men who were riding handcuffed in the rear seat of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement SUV when the agent behind the wheel struck a pedestrian in northwest Houston — warning that both could be deported before they have a chance to give investigators the account of what they saw.
The collision took place on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 10, at a strip mall near Clay Road and Highway 6 in Harris County. An ICE agent driving an unmarked black SUV struck Miguel Parra-Hernandez, a Mexican national who was on foot, as he ran through the parking lot. Parra-Hernandez sustained severe injuries — a right leg broken in three places, a fractured ankle, and a hip injury — and required surgery. He remains in ICE custody while continuing to receive hospital treatment.
Who Was Inside the Vehicle
At the center of advocates’ alarm are the two men who were already handcuffed and seated in the back of that SUV when the impact occurred. Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston, an immigrant civil rights organization working on behalf of Parra-Hernandez’s family, said the two men observed everything that unfolded — including the moment the vehicle struck Parra-Hernandez. The pair had been taken into custody during a separate enforcement operation earlier that morning and were already seated in the agent’s vehicle when the SUV entered the strip mall lot.
At a Wednesday press conference, family members and attorneys publicly identified one of the two witnesses as Luis Delfín Enríquez, 48. His sister, Nidia Delfín, told reporters that her brother had been on his way to breakfast with his employees before work when ICE agents stopped them that morning. She said Enríquez has no criminal record, carries no outstanding arrest warrants, and had an approved immigration case as he awaited a green card. She also noted that he is a small business owner who employs members of the Houston community.
Attorney Represents Both the Victim and the Key Witness
Kim Bruno, the attorney representing both Parra-Hernandez and Enríquez, told reporters that her client Enríquez was handcuffed in the vehicle at the moment of the collision, placing him in a direct position to observe the agent’s actions. Bruno said the Harris County District Attorney’s Office is actively working to obtain Enríquez’s formal statement. She is also pursuing U-visa protections — a federal designation for crime victims and witnesses who assist law enforcement — as a shield against deportation while the criminal case advances…