Honduran immigrant sues Houston over alleged detention irregularities leading to deportation

Erick Lopez, a Honduran immigrant, is leading a class-action lawsuit against the city of Houston, Texas, alleging that local police irregularities led to his deportation. Lopez was detained on June 17 for a traffic violation, reportedly for failing to stop at a stop sign, and subsequently handed over to ICE custody.

According to the lawsuit, Houston police officers deliberately held Lopez for over two hours after his initial traffic stop. His lawyers contend this extended detention period is unlawful, as Texas law permits police to hold individuals for a "reasonable" time while awaiting ICE pickup on immigration warrants, and two hours is considered excessive. These immigration warrants are civil, not criminal, and do not grant local police the authority to detain individuals on their own.

Lopez was deported on June 27. His attorney, Randall Kallinen, stated that Lopez had no criminal record and was supporting his girlfriend and her two children while working in tiling and flooring. The lawsuit accuses Houston police of routinely holding individuals arrested for minor traffic infractions longer than necessary to process their tickets, with Lopez's case serving as a central example. The legal team aims to represent other individuals allegedly subjected to this same practice.

The city of Houston approved a measure in April that limits local officers' cooperation with ICE. However, the lawsuit suggests that the alleged practice of extended detentions for immigration enforcement purposes continued.

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Erick has no criminal record. He was supporting his girlfriend, who had two children, and was engaged in tiling and other types of flooring.