Judge orders immigration officials to free key witness in deadly ICE shooting

Core Impact Points

• A federal judge has ordered the release of Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, a key witness in the fatal shooting of a Mexican homebuilder by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Houston, Texas.
• Rojas Pliego was detained by ICE despite having a pending application for a U-Visa, which would grant him a four-year work permit, protection from deportation, and a path to a green card.
• The judge's order requires ICE to release Rojas Pliego within 48 hours and return his personal property, including identity documents such as a driver's license or passport.
• The shooting, which occurred on July 7, has sparked widespread protests in Houston and calls for an independent investigation.
• The Department of Homeland Security initially claimed that the ICE officer fired in self-defense, but Rojas Pliego and another passenger disputed this account, stating that the officers were to the sides of their van, never in front or behind it.
• The Harris County District Attorney's office has stated that it is prepared to prosecute federal immigration agents if it finds criminal wrongdoing in the shooting.