Texas Democrat Seeks Public Hearing After ICE Agent Killed Ruben Ray Martinez

A Texas Democrat is demanding a public hearing of his committee into the March 2025 fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) agent, whose involvement was disclosed in newly released documents nearly a year after the incident.

State Representative Ray Lopez, who represents Texas’ 125th District and is vice chair of the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs, is invoking a newly introduced state legislative rule for the first time, as first reported by CBS.

Under Rule 4, Section 6A of the Texas House Rules, which was passed in the state’s 89th legislature, Lopez can officially compel Committee Chairman Cole Hefner, a Republican, to “promptly schedule” a hearing on Martinez’s death.

“When government uses its most serious power, the power to take a life, the facts cannot remain hidden,” Lopez said in a statement reported by Fox 7 Austin. “A young Texan lost his life, and the public was left without full clarity for nearly a year. That is not about politics. It is about trust.”

“Because of the seriousness of these unanswered questions, I have formally invoked the House Rules to demand a public hearing,” he added. “It is a rare step taken to ensure the people of Texas see the facts for themselves. When federal agents operate on Texas soil, transparency is not optional. It belongs to the people.”

Newsweek contacted Hefner, Lopez, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by email on Sunday morning, outside of standard working hours, for comment.

What Do We Know About Martinez’s Death?

Martinez, from San Antonio, was fatally shot by an ICE agent on South Padre Island on March 15, 2025. While his death was reported at the time, there was no mention that it had been at the hands of a federal immigration agent. 

But new details emerged this week through internal ICE records obtained by watchdog American Oversight via a Freedom of Information Act request and reviewed by Newsweek which indicated a federal immigration agent’s involvement in the fatal shooting.

The DHS told Newsweek that a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent fired “defensive shots” at a person after the driver “intentionally ran over” another federal agent.

HSI agents were at the scene of the incident to assist the South Padre Island Police Department following a major accident, the DHS said in a statement to Newsweek. HSI is the primary investigative arm of ICE, responsible for federal criminal investigations.

“A driver of a blue Ford intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent resulting in him being on the hood of the vehicle. Upon witnessing this, another agent fired defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public,” a spokesperson for the agency said.

“The driver was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. The agent who was run over sustained a knee injury and was taken to the hospital.” Newsweek has been unable to independently corroborate the agency’s account.

Christopher Olivarez, a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Public Safety, told Newsweek that there is an open investigation into the incident.

What Is Lopez Asking For?

Lopez sent a letter to Hefner demanding a public hearing into Martinez’s shooting on Saturday, February 21, saying that the matter called for “the careful and timely attention” of their committee.

“For nearly 12 months, neither the Department of Homeland Security, the Texas Department of Public Safety, nor the Texas Rangers publicly disclosed federal agent involvement in his death,” he wrote in the document shared by Fox 7 Austin.

“As vice chair of this committee, and pursuant to Rule 4, Section 6A of the House Rules of Procedure, I am formally designating this matter for committee consideration and requesting that we work together to schedule a public hearing at the earliest appropriate opportunity,” Lopez added.

For the San Antonio lawmakers, the way that Martinez’s shooting was reported raises several questions which should be addressed by state representatives. 

“If an agent was struck with sufficient force to justify the use of lethal force by another officer, how was that determination made? What contemporaneous evidence exists, including body-worn or dash-camera footage? What was the sequence of communication among agents present? And what role did state agencies play in the investigation and subsequent public disclosure?” he wrote in his letter.

These questions are similar to those that have emerged after news of the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis last month, which have prompted a nationwide backlash against ICE.

“The similarities between these incidents, particularly the allegation that an agent was struck by a vehicle prior to the discharge of lethal force, further underscore the importance of careful, independent review,” Lopez wrote.

What Would a Hearing Involve?

The hearing would force the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs to convene before the public to discuss Martinez’s killing. This, Lopez said, “is the appropriate mechanism through which relevant facts can be examined transparently and placed before the people of Texas.”

Lopez said he is not invoking a hearing “in a spirit of confrontation, but in fulfillment of our shared constitutional responsibility as members of the Texas House of Representatives.” 

It is both his and Hefner’s duty, he told his committee’s chair, “to ensure that when governmental authority is exercised on Texas soil, particularly in matters involving the loss of life, it is subject to appropriate transparency and review.”

Lopez has requested a written answer by Hefner by the end of business on Monday, February 23. It is not yet clear when a public hearing might be scheduled.

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