Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained three men in a Pasadena neighborhood on Monday following an hours-long operation that drew protests from residents and activist groups.
According to witnesses, ICE agents surrounded a home near West Houston Avenue and Dade Street around dawn after following several men from a nearby gas station. Family members said the men—who work together at a local flooring company—had left for work around 5 a.m. when they noticed they were being followed and returned home.
Lali Hernandez, a nearby resident, said she received a text around 6:15 a.m. from her cousin saying his home was surrounded by agents. She said the standoff lasted about six hours before three men were escorted out in handcuffs.
Video posted online showed officers from multiple agencies establishing a perimeter while residents gathered outside and shouted at law enforcement.
Pasadena Police confirmed the department was aware of a federal operation but said its officers only assisted with traffic and crowd control. “We were not involved in the enforcement action itself,” the department said in a statement.
Juliet Ortega, a community organizer with Houston Leads, told the Houston Chronicle she arrived around 11 a.m. and saw dozens of residents yelling at the home’s occupants to remain inside. Ortega said agents later returned wearing helmets and shields before making the arrests. ICE has not released details on the operation or confirmed the reason for the detentions.
The incident comes as immigration agents across the country face growing hostility from activist groups and violent attacks on ICE facilities. In July, ten people were charged with attempted murder after ambushing ICE officers outside a detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, injuring a police officer. In September, a gunman opened fire on a Dallas ICE facility, killing one detainee and wounding two others before being arrested.
Just last month, two illegal aliens escaped custody near Conroe after one slipped his restraints and allegedly choked a female Border Patrol agent. ICE’s acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez condemned the attack, saying that the “continued demonization of legitimate law enforcement activities by political leaders and certain members of the media” has made such assaults inevitable.
Federal data shows reported assaults on ICE personnel have surged in the past year, with the Department of Homeland Security reporting an 830 percent increase in attacks on officers compared with the same period last year.
No injuries were reported during Monday’s operation in Pasadena.
No ads. No paywalls. No government grants. No corporate masters.
Just real news for real Texans.
Support Texas Scorecard to keep it that way!
