An immigration attorney representing two undocumented immigrants involved in a recent ICE shooting in Houston has a troubling past, as records show he was previously charged with domestic violence and kidnapping.
Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, the attorney, is currently advocating for two out of the three passengers in a van when Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week. In a news conference after the incident, Balderas-Ibarra placed blame on law enforcement, called for the immediate release of his clients, and accused ICE agents of lying about the circumstances of the shooting. He emphasized that the physical and emotional scars from this killing would leave lasting impacts on the families involved, remarking, “None of these families will ever be whole again.”
However, documents from the Harris County District Court reveal that Balderas-Ibarra is currently under a $20,000 bail due to a felony charge related to family assault with respiratory obstruction from an incident that occurred in 2024.
According to ICE, the shooting happened when the officer was nearly struck by Salgado Araujo’s car during a traffic stop.
Details from the charging documents indicate the alleged assault happened while Balderas-Ibarra was in a relationship with the victim. The victim said they had a heated argument the day she was supposed to fly out, leading to Balderas-Ibarra taking her luggage and physically assaulting her at the airport. She claimed he choked her until she was unable to breathe, causing her to feel dizzy and disoriented. Photographic evidence taken after the incident showed visible injuries on her neck.
Moreover, at the time of this incident, Balderas-Ibarra was already out on bond for previous domestic violence, kidnapping, and false imprisonment charges in Florida.
Fox News Digital attempted to contact Balderas-Ibarra’s office for comment. According to the Texas State Bar’s website, he holds a “probationary license” to practice law in Texas. He spoke at the press conference with several local representatives and officials, including Al Green and Sylvia Garcia.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was in the U.S. illegally, was pronounced dead after being shot, following ICE’s claim that he tried to run over an agent with his vehicle. Balderas-Ibarra argued at the conference that the claims from ICE regarding the shooting were inconsistent, stating that his clients’ account of the event differed significantly from what was reported by ICE officials.
He called on ICE to halt his client’s deportation to maintain the “integrity” of the investigation into the shooting. Balderas-Ibarra asserted the need for fundamental reforms in ICE’s immigration enforcement practices, denouncing it as “racial profiling.” He insisted, “This is not immigration enforcement.”
