HOUSTON, Texas (KBTX) – A federal judge is ordering the release of one of the key witnesses in the deadly shooting of a Houston man by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego is one of only a few known witnesses because the ICE agents involved had no body or dash cameras.
The judge says Rojas Pliego must be released from immigration detention within 48 hours — in a public place — and his attorneys must be notified at least three hours beforehand. Court records say he’s lived in the U.S. since 1998, has no criminal record, and has U.S.-citizen children and stepchildren. He and another passenger dispute the federal account, saying agents rammed the van before the shooting.
The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to requests for comment. Two other witnesses have filed similar petitions seeking release.
The Texas Tribune has more information on this developing story here.
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