Overview
- Police say 19-year-old Josue Abraham Chirino-Leonice was arrested in Pasadena, Texas, after coworker Juan Antonio Salinas Leija was found bludgeoned to death at a Houston-area construction site.
- ICE says Chirino-Leonice crossed the border as an unaccompanied minor in November 2023 and was released into the United States to live with a sponsor.
- The agency confirmed he is a Venezuelan national and has lodged an immigration detainer, which asks the county jail to hold him so ICE can take custody.
- The case has become a flashpoint in Houston’s debate over a city rule that limits police work with ICE, with Gov. Greg Abbott pulling more than $100 million in safety grants and Attorney General Ken Paxton suing the city.
- City leaders are considering a revised ordinance as state pressure grows, and right-leaning outlets are framing the killing as a failure of border-release policies.