The family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican man killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Houston, demands answers from officials. The incident occurred before 7 a.m. on a Tuesday during a targeted ICE enforcement operation. ICE attempted to arrest Salgado Araujo, accusing him of using his vehicle as a weapon against an officer. The officer fired in self-defense, according to an ICE spokesperson.
Ronaldo Salgado, the victim’s son, described his father as a hardworking business owner who had been in the U.S. for 35 years. He was on his way to a project when the encounter with ICE happened. Three other men, including Salgado Araujo’s brother, were taken into custody.
“My father did not deserve this,” Ronaldo Salgado expressed on Facebook. An investigation into the shooting is underway by both the DHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI.
Lorenzo’s son was notified of a ‘bad event’ by his mother. He visited the shooting scene and hospital only to learn of his father’s death from a news report. His father had worked two decades in home construction, striving to secure legal immigration status.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) demands transparency in the investigation. LULAC CEO Juan Proaño and President Roman Palomares called for the release of all evidence, asserting distrust in federal narratives used in similar cases.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire emphasized the complexity of the situation, calling for an independent investigation while acknowledging city limitations in evidence access. Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones and Councilwoman Dr. Letitia Plummer criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies, drawing parallels to other incidents.
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, insists on a thorough probe into the incident, highlighting Salgado Araujo’s lack of a criminal record. Questions remain about the operation’s authorization and deescalation attempts.
Jeff Arnold reports on immigration for NewsNation Digital, covering various issues across the U.S. Submissions for story ideas can be sent to [email protected].