Houston, TX — Nov. 7, 2025 — A pre-dawn ICE operation on Oct. 31 in Southwest Houston has left families shaken, with advocacy organization FIEL Houston calling the sweep “a nightmare” and alleging that officers used excessive force and targeted residents based on appearance.
Families say the operation affected at least 50 households in the Club Creek area. Two men, Nico Guzman and Victor Ramirez, who has lived in Houston for nearly or more than two decades, remain detained at the T. Don Hutto detention center. Both families say the men have no criminal history and no prior deportation orders. Their first court appearances are expected in the coming weeks.
During the same operation, U.S. citizen Erik Cornejo was sprayed with what appears as a chemical irritant while filming ICE vehicles, and a van transporting adults with special needs was struck during an attempted traffic stop, according to FIEL and eyewitnesses.
“We are very alarmed by the tactics that ICE and these ‘federal agents’ are using to terrorize our communities,” said Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL. “Someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed soon at the rate they are going. It appears no one is safe — not even U.S. citizens. We demand accountability.”
Families Describe Fear and Confusion
Home security footage shows Guzman leaving for work shortly after 5 a.m.; minutes later, bystander video shows him being detained.
“He was simply walking to work, but that didn’t matter,” Guzman’s stepdaughter said. “They saw the color of his skin and decided he was a target. He has no record — nothing.”
Ramirez was sitting in his parked truck when his family says multiple vehicles boxed him in and officers broke his window.
“They took him without explanation,” his daughter said. “He isn’t a criminal. He works and comes home to his family. That’s it.”
Advocates say residents are now afraid to leave their homes, with some skipping work and school.
ICE Denies Wrongdoing
In a statement to KHOU 11, ICE disputed FIEL’s claims, saying the operation was “targeted and intelligence-based.” The agency said:
- No U.S. citizens were detained.
- The van with special needs passengers had “suspicious registration” and allegedly refused to comply, resulting in a collision with an ICE vehicle.
- Cornejo was sprayed only after “repeatedly interfering” and refusing “lawful commands.”
FIEL disputes each of those claims and says videos will be released publicly.
Broader Context
Houston does not have sanctuary protections, and Texas’ 287(g) partnership allows local law enforcement to hold people for ICE. Advocates say this creates heightened vulnerability in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods already wary of police and federal authority.
Meanwhile, ICE Houston reported making 1,505 arrests during a 10-day operation in late October, noting that the total included some individuals with felony convictions, gang ties or past deportation orders. However, agency data shows that more than half of those arrested were categorized broadly as “other immigration offenders,” meaning they were not listed in connection with serious violent crimes.
Advocates say the cases of Guzman and Ramirez reflect that wider group — people who have lived in Houston for years without criminal records, but were swept in during enforcement operations.
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