Immigration Lawyer Representing Migrants In ICE Shooting Exposed for Criminal Background

An attorney representing two migrants who were inside a van during a recent fatal ICE-involved shooting in Houston is facing serious criminal charges of his own.

Immigration attorney Hugo Balderas-Ibarra was indicted in February on a felony charge of assault involving family violence by impeding breathing, Houston station KPRC 2 reported. He also faces charges of kidnapping and battery in Seminole County, Florida. Court records show he is scheduled to be sentenced in that case on July 15.

He was previously convicted of burglary in 2008 and domestic assault in 2009 in Iowa.

Balderas-Ibarra represents Daniel Tirado Pantoja and José Trinidad Rojas Pliego, who were passengers in a van whose driver was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week in Houston, the local news outlet reported. The pair was swiftly taken into ICE custody and remains in a detention center in Conroe, Texas.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the officer “weaponized” the van “in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer.” The men reportedly said they were going to work at a construction site after buying ice and water when they noticed an unmarked vehicle following them.

The attorney’s assault charge stems from an alleged attack on a woman who said she had been dating Balderas-Ibarra, who became abusive when the couple moved in together, KPRC 2 reported. The woman said she decided to leave after finding something on his phone while he was in the shower.

She then left early for a flight to Florida before Balderas-Ibarra brought her suitcases, throwing them to the ground and grabbing her by the neck as she went to pick them up. He squeezed her throat and twisted it, leaving her unable to breathe, according to KPRC 2.

A law enforcement officer determined that the woman’s neck was red and swollen through photographic evidence.

Balderas-Ibarra is out of custody on a $20,000 bond and faces a court hearing July 21, according to court records.

In a statement to KPRC 2, Balderas-Ibarra pleaded for the media to ignore his charges and focus on his defendants in the immigration case.

“I maintain my innocence and believe the focus should continue to be on my clients, rather than shifting focus onto me. Don’t lose focus!” he said.

Balderas-Ibarra has been eligible to practice law in the Lone Star State since January 2025. He is currently practicing with a probationary license, according to the Texas Bar directory.

Balderas-Ibarra has no public disciplinary history listed on his State Bar of Texas profile.

The immigration lawyer alleges that he is the “product of birthright citizenship” and calls himself “El Abogado Tejano” — a lawyer who is a Texan and of Mexican descent, according to his LinkedIn account.