When ICE Knocks: The New Playbook for I-9 Audits, Raids, and Worksite Defense in 2026

Danny earned his Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law in 2002, where he served as Articles Editor of The Review of Litigation and Associate Editor of the Texas Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy. He completed his Bachelor of Arts at The University of Texas at El Paso in 1998. He is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization — a distinction held by only a small percentage of attorneys in the state — and he practices fluently in both English and Spanish. Danny is admitted to practice before the State Courts of Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Southern, Northern, Western, and Eastern Districts of Texas.

Danny's work has earned consistent recognition from the legal community's most respected rating organizations. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, has been named a Super Lawyer by Texas Super Lawyers every year since 2014, and has been recognized by Best Lawyers® since 2023. Earlier in his career, he was named a Texas Rising Star in Employment and Labor Law by Texas Super Lawyers and Texas Monthly in 2010, 2011 (a front-cover feature), 2012, and 2013. The Hispanic Bar Association of Houston honored him with its President's Award in both 2011 and 2012, and The University of Texas School of Law presented him with its Peregrinus Consul Award in 2002. For his work on behalf of military families, Danny received a Certificate of Special U.S. Congressional Recognition in 1999, and his service in uniform was honored with U.S. Naval Reserves Meritorious Medals in 1996 and 1999. In leadership, he has served as Chairman of the Harris County Sheriff's Civil Service Commission, as President of the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston, and currently serves as a Commissioner of the City of Houston Civil Service Commission.

Danny is actively engaged in the legal profession and civic life of his community. He is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the Labor and Employment Section of the Houston Bar Association, and he remains deeply involved with the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston, where he previously served as President, President-Elect, and Treasurer, and continues to serve on the Board of Directors. He has been a member of the National Hispanic Bar Association since 2009. Beyond the bar, Danny served as Chairman of the Harris County Sheriff's Civil Service Commission from 2013 to 2015 and previously as a Commissioner, served on the City of Houston Civil Service Commission from 2018 to 2021, and is a graduate of the Leadership Houston Class of 2011–2012. A frequent and sought-after speaker, Danny presents in both English and Spanish to audiences ranging from HR Houston, the State Bar of Texas, and the SHRM Gulf Coast Symposium to the Texas Restaurant Association, NAMWOLF, the National Employment Law Council, and the BSCAI HR Summit, covering topics that include FLSA compliance, I-9 audits, ICE enforcement, discrimination in the remote workplace, and union-related matters.

Danny defends employers across the full spectrum of workplace disputes — wage and hour collective actions, Title VII discrimination, sexual harassment, ADEA claims, workers' compensation retaliation, non-subscriber cases, non-compete enforcement, and NLRB matters — in state and federal courts, arbitration, and on appeal. His litigation record includes a successful jury verdict in a disability and gender discrimination case, summary judgment victories in age and gender discrimination matters, and the management of complex multi-million-dollar federal whistleblower (qui tam) litigation from inception through dismissal on behalf of a public employer. On the compliance side, he represents employers during ICE enforcement raids and Notices of Inspection, manages EEOC charges, and resolves Department of Labor investigations carrying potential million-dollar exposure. He has implemented immigration compliance initiatives tied to AUSA non-prosecution agreements and routinely conducts Form I-9 audits and training to eliminate liability and identity-fraud risk. He also drafts the employment policies, arbitration agreements, and non-competition and confidentiality provisions that allow his clients to avoid disputes before they arise. Before launching his legal career, Danny served in the U.S. Navy and Reserves from 1993 to 2001 as a second-generation Navy service member, and worked as a Military and Veterans Caseworker in the District Office of Congressman Silvestre Reyes from 1995 to 1998. He clerked for the Honorable David Briones of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas during the summer of 1999. He maintains primary practice locations in Houston and Dallas, Texas.