ICE officer indicted for assault

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Mario Alberto Morales has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly hitting a man with his vehicle in Texas earlier this month.

The victim and the incident

On October tenth, Morales allegedly pursued Miguel Parra-Hernandez, a forty-eight-year-old Mexican national who has lived in Texas for more than thirty years without legal documentation, and aggressively steered his vehicle into him.

Serious injuries and hospitalisation

Morales ran over both of Parra-Hernandez's legs, leaving him with multiple leg fractures and a hip injury. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said Parra-Hernandez remained hospitalised following the incident.

“Not only did he hit Mr Hernandez, he ran over both of his legs, leaving him seriously injured and hospitalised to this day.”

ICE rejects the charges

ICE dismissed the indictment as a political stunt, calling the allegations reckless and false. The agency said its officers are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and ethical conduct.

“This is nothing more than a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians.”

Potential prison sentence

If convicted of the second-degree felony, Morales faces between two to twenty years in prison, according to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare. The prosecution aims to send a message to ICE officers.