Texas Migrant Survivors Who Were Shot at by Twin Brothers Detained by ICE

Two Texas men, twin brothers Michael and Mark Sheppard, opened fire at a group of migrants in the Texas desert, leaving one dead and another wounded. They have been charged with manslaughter, but the migrants they shot have now also been detained by ICE.

The Sheppard twins claimed that they mistook the migrants for wild hogs while they were out hunting, so they fired at them. However, the migrants told authorities they were only stopping to collect water from a reservoir when a pickup truck sped by and circled back to them.

The brothers then shouted profanities at the group before Michael fired off two rounds. The migrants claimed that the brothers shouted profanities at them in Spanish.

CBS Austin reported that the two men turned themselves in and are facing manslaughter and additional charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

According to the New York Daily News, Michael Sheppard was the warden at a privately-run prison while his twin brother worked as a maintenance worker for the sheriff's office. Michael had been accused of abuse as the warden of that prison.

Both brothers have now been released after paying a half-a-million dollars bail.

Texas Twins Accused of Hate Crimes

Lawyers and advocates for the victims are decrying the case, as the migrants who were shot at were detained by ICE. They said that the migrants' detention violated a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement directive that gives a strong consideration for those crime victims cooperating with authorities in determining whether they should be released.

The Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center is now representing the migrant survivors, and their supervising attorney, Zoe Bowman, stated that this is a hate crime that happened after they crossed into the United States.

Bowman told the Associated Press that the migrant survivors are victims of a crime that happened on U.S. soil and that charges have already been brought against the two suspects. They can "provide a rare paper trail to protection under a visa for migrants who are crime victims in the U.S.," says their attorney.

Texas Migrants Remain in Detention

However, even with the 2021 ICE directive about releasing crime victims, the migrants remain in detention. Six of those who survived the shooting are being held at the El Paso Processing Center - an ICE detention facility. Meanwhile, the seventh survivor is being held by the U.S. marshals Service and is expected to be transferred to the West Texas Detention Facility, where the man who shot at them, Michael Sheppard, serves as the warden.

The man who died was identified as Mexican national Jesus Ivan Sepulveda, while the migrant who was injured by the twins was identified as Brenda Berenice Casias Carrillo, also a Mexican. She was struck in the stomach and seriously wounded.

After they were attacked, Casias Carillo was taken to a hospital while the other migrants were questioned by federal and immigration officials. The wounded survivor remains in stable condition and has some legal protection.

As for the other migrants, Bowman is seeking visas intended for migrants who are crime victims. However, she admitted that the case could take months to produce the necessary court documents.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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