HOUSTON – The immigration attorney representing two witnesses in the deadly ICE shooting on Canal Street is facing a legal battle of his own in Harris County.
Hugo Balderas-Ibarra appeared in court Wednesday morning in connection with a felony charge of assault by impeding breathing or circulation.
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Balderas-Ibarra is accused of assaulting a woman he was dating.
KPRC 2 attempted to speak with Balderas-Ibarra after court on Wednesday, but he did not respond. When asked whether he would accept a plea deal in the Texas case, his attorney said no comment.
Balderas-Ibarra represents two of the men who were inside the van with Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during the deadly ICE shooting in Houston’s Magnolia Park neighborhood earlier this month.
Wednesday’s hearing came one week after Balderas-Ibarra accepted a plea deal in Florida and was adjudicated guilty of misdemeanor battery.
After entering that plea, Balderas-Ibarra wrote on Facebook that he prayed “we put this behind us and focus on the real issues.”
Attorney has probationary Texas law license
According to the State Bar of Texas, Balderas-Ibarra has held a probationary license since January 2025. A State Bar spokesperson told KPRC 2 that he has never been fully licensed to practice law in Texas.
Balderas-Ibarra is also licensed to practice law in New Mexico, according to that state’s bar records.
Texas disciplinary rules state that if an attorney is convicted of a “serious crime,” the Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel will seek compulsory discipline. If a qualifying conviction results in incarceration that is not fully probated, the rules call for disbarment.
Whether Balderas-Ibarra’s Florida conviction meets the disciplinary rules’ definition of a “serious crime” has not been determined.
In New Mexico, disciplinary counsel may petition the state Supreme Court to suspend an attorney’s license when criminal charges are involved.
Balderas-Ibarra’s Harris County assault case remains pending.
His next court date is in two weeks.