A man is recovering from a broken leg and other injuries following an incident involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent — and two very different stories are emerging about what actually happened.
Miguel Parra-Hernandez’s family says he was struck by an ICE agent’s SUV. Federal authorities say he ran in front of the vehicle. Now, a growing number of eyewitnesses are publicly challenging ICE’s account and demanding transparency.
Surveillance footage appears to capture the moment an SUV — allegedly driven by an ICE agent — struck Parra-Hernandez after he and another man exited a white truck and ran.
Nidia Del Fin says her brother Luis witnessed the incident firsthand from the back seat of that same ICE vehicle, where he was sitting handcuffed following his own arrest by ICE earlier that morning.
“We are asking the community to step up so that Mr. Parra can get some justice — because what was done to him is not okay. That is not how we are supposed to treat other human beings,” Del Fin said.
ICE says agents targeted the truck because they had a warrant for Jose Mendoza-Cervantes — a man they say has five prior arrests whom they claim was behind the wheel. Federal authorities say Mendoza-Cervantes fled the scene and escaped.
But that claim is now being directly challenged.
“This notion that ICE was looking for this person — we believe is not true,” said Cesar Espinosa.
Espinosa, with Houston-based immigration advocacy group FIEL, says every person he has spoken to tells the same story.
“What we can confirm, 100% right now, is that all the people that we have talked to do not know, have never seen, have ever met, and do not know the whereabouts of Mr. Jose Mendoza-Cervantes,” Espinosa said.
Espinosa says the man who was actually in the truck with Parra-Hernandez is someone named Omar — not Mendoza-Cervantes. He says Omar’s identity is being concealed because he has not yet spoken to investigators.
“Is his name Jose? No. Do they look alike? No,” Espinosa said, as he holds up pictures of both individuals.
ICE is standing by its version of events, saying Parra-Hernandez ran in front of their vehicle and calling allegations that the agent deliberately struck him reckless and false.
But for those who say they witnessed the incident, that explanation falls short.
“They have to pay for what they did — because they broke his legs,” Del Fin said.
Those who have come forward say if local authorities don’t take a closer look at what happened, incidents like this one won’t be the last.
