Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, an immigration attorney representing two migrants involved in a recent ICE shooting in Houston, is facing multiple criminal charges. He was indicted in February on a felony charge of assault involving family violence, and he also faces charges of kidnapping and battery in Florida, with a sentencing date set for July 15. Balderas-Ibarra has a prior conviction for burglary in 2008 and domestic assault in 2009 in Iowa.
The two migrants, Daniel Tirado Pantoja and José Trinidad Rojas Pliego, were passengers in a van whose driver was shot by an ICE officer. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the officer claimed the van was used in an attempt to run over an officer. Balderas-Ibarra's assault charge relates to an alleged incident involving a woman he dated, where he is accused of choking her during a confrontation.
Currently out on a $20,000 bond, Balderas-Ibarra has a court hearing scheduled for July 21. He has requested that media attention focus on his clients rather than his legal troubles, asserting his innocence. He has been eligible to practice law in Texas since January 2025 and is currently practicing under a probationary license, with no public disciplinary history noted on his State Bar profile.