Texas rep calls for public hearing on alleged state cover-up of ICE shooting

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 18: The exterior of the Texas State Capitol on February 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - A Democratic state representative is demanding a public hearing of his committee regarding the alleged Texas cover-up of a fatal shooting involving a federal immigration officer in South Padre Island. 

Rep. Ray Lopez, the vice chair of the committee on Homeland Security, invoked a new House rule for the first time ever to call for the meeting. 

Texas rep calls for ICE shooting meeting

The latest:

Lopez, D-San Antonio, is demanding that his committee convene before the public to address the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez. The San Antonio man was fatally shot last March while visiting South Padre Island, and newly revealed records reportedly indicate that it was at the hands of a federal immigration agent. 

The letter from Lopez to committee chair Cole Hefner (R-Mount Pleasant) invokes Rule 4, Section 6A of the Texas House Rules. According to Lopez in a Saturday release, this is the first time a vice chair has publicly exercised this designation authority.

Lopez is among several state Democrats concerned that the 11-month gap between Martinez' death and the revelation of federal involvement was the result of a cover-up operation by Texas law enforcement. 

What they're saying:

"When government uses its most serious power, the power to take a life, the facts cannot remain hidden. A young Texan lost his life, and the public was left without full clarity for nearly a year. That is not about politics. It is about trust," said Lopez. "Because of the seriousness of these unanswered questions, I have formally invoked the House Rules to demand a public hearing. It is a rare step taken to ensure the people of Texas see the facts for themselves. When federal agents operate on Texas soil, transparency is not optional. It belongs to the people."

Shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez

The backstory:

The Associated Press says they obtained a statement from DHS saying the driver who was killed "intentionally ran over a Homeland Security Investigation special agent," resulting in another agent firing "defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents, and the general public." 

The records are reported to say Martinez was shot through the driver's side window of a car after disobeying orders to exit the vehicle, and instead accelerating and hitting an officer. The AP said they got no answers from DHS about the 11-month silence regarding Martinez' death. 

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Records reveal Texas man killed last March was shot by immigration agent: AP

Newly released internal records from Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly reveal that a 23-year-old man who died in South Texas last March was shot by a federal agent.

Martinez’s mother reportedly told the AP her son was visiting the beach for his birthday with his best friend. She said her son was "a typical young guy."

State departments say the case is still active. The AP says the Texas Department of Public Safety declined to add new information. 

Texas Democrats, including Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D-Austin) and state Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D-Uvalde), vocalized their anger over the alleged cover-up on social media Friday evening.