Texas Judge Removed from Rodeo Grounds Again Amid VIP Seating Controversy

In a dramatic turn of events, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was escorted from a prominent rodeo venue for the second time this week. The incident, which unfolded on Thursday, followed a controversial removal earlier after she attempted to enter a VIP seating section without the necessary tickets.

Judge Hidalgo convened a brief press conference outside NRG Stadium in Houston, seeking access to security footage of the initial incident. However, she was again escorted off the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo grounds shortly after addressing the media, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.

Police escorted Hidalgo to her vehicle after a rodeo spokesperson clarified that she was not authorized to remain on the premises beyond the brief media interaction. Her attempts to gain entry into restricted areas during a sold-out concert had already stirred significant controversy.

Earlier in the week, during a packed concert event, Hidalgo faced removal after trying to reach the arena’s dirt floor without proper credentials. This led the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo board to revoke her ex officio title, amid ongoing tensions. The board’s decision and the subsequent incidents have intensified the spotlight on the ongoing dispute.

Thursday’s developments followed Hidalgo’s unauthorized attempt to access a premium seating area at a Megan Moroney concert, further fueling the saga that continues to capture public attention.

Hidalgo has since had her “ex-officio director” status removed by the Rodeo Houston executive committee, meaning she will have to pay to access rodeo grounds like everyone else, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

The move came after Hidalgo posted video and audio clips and a letter to rodeo leaders about what unfolded Tuesday night. She said she was manhandled and threatened with arrest after trying to access the concert’s chute area. 

Staffers told her she and her guests could not access the area because wristbands were sold out and that they would have to return to their suite. Hidalgo was then asked to leave and escorted out of the venue after being asked several times to return to her seating area, rodeo officials said. 

Rodeo officials deny Hidalgo’s mistreatment claims.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo posted short clips on social media showing staffers escorting her from a concert venue at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this week. Hidalgo said she was manhandled and threatened with arrest while attending a concert at the popular rodeo.  (Getty Images; Lina Hidalgo Facebook)

In a one-page letter to board officials, Hidalgo suggested that her treatment stemmed from her being a Hispanic woman. She claimed that White men have “felt emboldened to treat others, particularly Hispanics, with physical force.”

“I don’t travel without my passport anymore,” she wrote. “Many of us do, especially those of us who are not white-passing.”

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Chairwoman Pat Phillips and rodeo President Chris Boleman pushed back with their own letter.  

“We are very disappointed in Judge Hidalgo’s actions Tuesday night and since. But we must enforce the same access policies for everyone,” they said. “The Judge is the only elected official to request, even demand, these seats night after night. As Chairwoman of the Board, the idea that she was treated this way because she’s a woman or Hispanic is absolutely false and insulting.”

Shelby Pierson carries an American flag as the national anthem plays before Super Series I Round 1 at RodoeHouston during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park in Houston, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

In addition, Rodeo officials said Hidalgo requested and was given $9,000 in floor access tickets for herself and her guests for three previous nights for concerts to see J Balvin, Dwight Yoakam and Luke Bryan.

On Thursday, Hidalgo called on officials to install more cameras at NRG Stadium.

“You can’t really make things out because it’s very dark and it’s from a distance,” she said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Hidalgo. As the county judge, Hidalgo serves as its chief executive and presiding officer of the Commissioners Court, the county’s governing body, managing a budget over $4 billion.

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