ICE Pursuit in Harris County Leaves One Man Injured, Target Still at Large

A federal immigration operation in Harris County, Texas, ended with one man struck by an ICE vehicle and a wanted illegal alien still unaccounted for after both men ran from officers on Saturday morning.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told Breitbart Texas that officers moved in around 8:30 a.m. on October 10 to arrest Jose Mendoza-Cervantes, a Mexican national the agency describes as a public safety threat. Records cited by ICE show four prior arrests for driving under the influence, an arrest for unlawful firearm possession, and a standing federal removal order. ICE says Mendoza-Cervantes has already been deported twice and has entered the United States illegally five times, which is a federal felony.

According to ICE, surveillance teams watched Mendoza-Cervantes get into a vehicle with another Mexican national, Miguel Parra-Hernandez, and officers moved to make a traffic stop. Both men pulled over, then got out and ran. During the chase, Parra-Hernandez ran into the path of an ICE vehicle and was struck.

Officers gave him immediate medical aid and called EMS. He was taken to a local hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening and is currently in stable condition.

Mendoza-Cervantes was not apprehended and remains at large. ICE is asking anyone with information on his location to contact its tip line at 1-866-347-2423, or 001-1802-872-6199 from outside the country, or to submit a report through ICE’s online tip form.

Agency Points to Sanctuary Policies

ICE officials tied the incident to a broader political fight over local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, saying the attempt to flee came after sanctuary-minded officials had publicly circulated guidance on resisting ICE.

“This dangerous attempt to evade arrest comes after sanctuary politicians held webinars and provided resources and tips for how to openly defy ICE,” ICE officials stated.

The agency did not name specific officials or webinars in the material provided to Breitbart Texas.