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<\/p>\nHOUSTON, Texas \u2013 A Houston immigration advocacy group is calling out federal agents, presenting new evidence that the man ICE claimed to be searching for when their SUV struck Miguel Parra on October 10 had been dead for nearly a decade.<\/p>\n
A Dead Man\u2019s Photo on ICE\u2019s Website<\/p>\n
FIEL Houston executive director Cesar Espinosa announced this morning the organization has obtained documentation proving that Jose Cervantes Mendoza \u2014 the man ICE said agents were targeting \u2014 does not exist as a living person.<\/p>\n
Espinosa says the man behind the alias was actually Jose Hector Jimenez, who died years ago attempting to re-enter the U.S. near Laredo \u2014 at the hands of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.<\/p>\n
The story broke Wednesday when Jimenez\u2019s daughter called FIEL\u2019s office after seeing her late father\u2019s photo on ICE\u2019s website and in news coverage.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe called our office sobbing because she saw her dad\u2019s picture all over the news, all over the ICE website,\u201d Espinosa said.<\/p>\n
FIEL says it has turned that documentation over to the Harris County District Attorney\u2019s office. The revelation aligns with a New York Times report published Thursday, which found ICE agents in Houston had been searching for a man whose family says died in 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cEither immigration is starting to see ghosts, or they\u2019re lying,\u201d Espinosa said.<\/p>\n
What Happened on October 10<\/p>\n
ICE agents struck Miguel Parra with a government SUV during an enforcement operation in northwest Harris County. An ICE officer has since been placed on administrative leave.<\/p>\n
A man identified only as Omar, who says he was with Parra that morning, appeared at Friday\u2019s press conference to directly counter ICE\u2019s claim that agents had visually identified a target before the vehicle struck Parra.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was with Miguel that day. He is my friend. He is also my boss. And that\u2019s it, that\u2019s all,\u201d Omar said.<\/p>\n
Parra\u2019s Condition Is Getting Worse<\/p>\n
Parra remains hospitalized with multiple fractures in his right leg and is facing reconstructive surgery on his ankle. Now, his mental health is deteriorating too.<\/p>\n
His attorney, Kim Bruno, says Parra has fallen into depression after learning he may never have been near a legitimate enforcement target.<\/p>\n
Making matters worse, Espinosa alleges Parra is surrounded around the clock by armed ICE agents \u2014 some allegedly present the day of the incident \u2014 who he says have been overheard mocking him.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoking, laughing, mocking him on the radio saying, \u2018Oh, we\u2019re gonna go get more families, we\u2019re going to go get other people.\u2019 And he\u2019s hearing this 24-seven,\u201d Espinosa said.<\/p>\n
Key Witness Still Detained<\/p>\n
Parra\u2019s friend and witness Luis Enrique Delfin remains held at the Montgomery Processing Center. Attorney Bruno confirmed Delfin also sustained soft tissue injuries during the incident. His sister, Nidia Delfin, described a brother who is no longer himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is not the same guy that was out like last week. He is nervous, he is afraid,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
FIEL is demanding Delfin\u2019s immediate release so he can cooperate with the DA\u2019s investigation without coercion.<\/p>\n
FIEL\u2019s Three Demands<\/p>\n
Release all ICE body camera footage\u00a0from the morning of October 10.<\/p>\n
Free Luis Delfin\u00a0so he can serve as an uncoerced witness in the DA\u2019s investigation.<\/p>\n
Keep Miguel Parra in medical care\u00a0until he has fully recovered \u2014 physically and mentally.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, we seek transparency,\u201d Espinosa said.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s Next<\/p>\n
The Harris County District Attorney\u2019s office is actively investigating. With FIEL delivering documentation of the alleged target\u2019s death to prosecutors and an ICE officer already on administrative leave, pressure is growing on federal authorities to explain what really happened that morning.<\/p>\n
ICE has not publicly responded to FIEL\u2019s claims.<\/p>\n
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