SAN ANTONIO – A man who was charged after he was caught on video ramming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicles on the North Side was in the country legally, according to his father.
During a Tuesday morning detention hearing, Argote-Brooks’ father testified his son had applied for residency and political asylum.
Argote-Brooks, 25, entered the U.S. legally and had a work permit that was renewed in late 2025, his father said.
ICE and Gov. Greg Abbott both referred to Argote-Brooks as a “criminal illegal alien.”
Argote-Brooks worked for Walmart delivering groceries and was waiting to pick up an order on the day of his arrest, his father said.
An ICE deportation officer — who was not present at the time of Argote-Brooks’ arrest — said during testimony that officers were running license plates in the area as part of law enforcement activity.
The ICE officer said the officers thought Argote-Brooks was suspicious because he was looking down at his phone and possibly videotaping people going in and out of the store.
The defense argued Argote-Brooks was on edge because of heightened immigration enforcement in the U.S., noting the fatal Renee Good shooting in Minnesota that happened a week prior.
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Using a translator, Argote-Brooks’ father said “we are all scared at home” because of the immigration enforcement across the US. He also said he couldn’t watch the video of his son’s arrest because it was painful to think about what could have happened.
On Tuesday, a judge granted the release of Argote-Brooks into his father’s custody, but his father told KSAT he doesn’t know when that will happen. The judge set Argote-Brooks’ bond at $30,000.
Background
Argote-Brooks was charged with destruction of government property after he was seen on video driving into unmarked ICE vehicles while attempting to flee officers in a Walmart’s parking lot in the 12600 block of Blanco Road.
Records state an ICE officer ran a license plate on Jan. 13 in San Antonio. The registration identified Argote-Brooks as the vehicle’s owner, but showed there was no Social Security number, driver’s license or date of birth.
According to the affidavit, ICE officers used immigration databases to learn that Argote-Brooks is from Cuba and entered the U.S. in October 2024 at the Laredo Port of Entry, where Customs and Border Protection issued him a notice to appear and later released him on parole as his immigration case moved forward.
The parole was terminated in April 2025, records state.
After learning about Argote-Brooks’ background, records show that ICE officers decided to arrest him and place him in ICE custody so an immigration judge could review his case.
As ICE officers approached Argote-Brooks’ vehicle in the Walmart parking lot, records show he rolled the window up and refused to come out.
According to the affidavit, Argote-Brooks turned on the ignition and reversed into a government vehicle, then drove forward and crashed into another government-owned vehicle parked in front of his car.
The video shows the officers pointing guns at Argote-Brooks, repeating that he “come out of the car.” An officer then opened the driver’s side door and pinned him to the ground.
Court records show ICE officers had to jump out of the way. According to a statement shared by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), one of the officers was injured, but the agency did not specify his condition.
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