Texas grand jury indicts ICE officer for hitting a fleeing migrant with his SUV as ICE calls it a 'political stunt'

Mario Alberto Morales, 33, was indicted by a Harris County grand jury on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after driving his SUV over a median and toward Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, a Mexican construction worker who was running away on October 10. Parra Hernandez, who had no legal status, suffered multiple leg injuries and was subsequently taken into custody.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said the evidence is 'as clear as any that I've ever prosecuted' and that 'an ICE badge does not give you free rein to injure, kill, or violate the constitutional rights of anyone.'

ICE hit back, calling the indictment 'nothing more than a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians' and insisting only federal agencies can investigate officers acting in the course of their duties — a claim Teare flatly rejected.

ICE's own account has unravelled: the agency said Parra Hernandez had been seen with their target, Jose Mendoza-Cervantes — but the man's family provided documentation showing Mendoza-Cervantes died years ago.