ICE Detains Man Who Reported Shooting in Houston, Sparking Backlash
A 54-year-old man who reported a shooting in Houston was detained by federal immigration agents at the scene, sparking backlash from local civil rights organizations and law enforcement officials.
The incident occurred on August 9 when Juan Francisco Monroy Turuy called 911 to report a gunman outside a Home Depot store. He described the suspect as a man who had fired multiple shots in the parking lot.
Houston Police Department officers responded to the scene and located the suspect, David Elias Mendez, nearby. They brought him back to the Home Depot parking lot for Monroy to make a formal identification, but before that could happen, federal immigration agents from ICE arrived and took Monroy into custody.
ICE stated in a statement that Monroy was detained because he is an undocumented immigrant with a prior conviction for a crime that endangered public safety. The agency added that witnessing a crime does not exempt someone from immigration enforcement, although they may defer to local law enforcement if requested paperwork is submitted.