Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., has declared the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the "greatest threat to our safety" following a fatal shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Houston. The incident occurred Tuesday when an ICE officer discharged their weapon, fatally wounding Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
DHS stated that Salgado Araujo was shot in self-defense after he allegedly attempted to run over a federal agent with his vehicle during an attempted traffic stop. According to the department, the driver "weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer." Salgado Araujo was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Ramirez, a member of the progressive "Squad" and a vocal critic of ICE, posted her statement on social media, asserting that "CBP and ICE continue to violently attack our neighbors and trample the rights of our residents." She did not directly address DHS's account of the shooting, which included details that Salgado Araujo allegedly evaded arrest and was not authorized to be in the United States.
Ramirez has previously advocated for the abolition of ICE and has co-sponsored legislation, the Melt ICE Act, which aims to defund the agency and dismantle immigration detention facilities. This legislation faces significant opposition and has no clear path to passage in the Republican-controlled House.
Another Democrat representing the area where the shooting occurred, Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, offered a more measured response. Garcia called for an independent and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the use of deadly force, emphasizing that "All available footage, communications, and other evidence should be preserved and reviewed."
DHS has stated that its Office of Inspector General is investigating the shooting, and the FBI's Houston Office has launched a separate inquiry into the "potential assault" of the ICE officer. Ramirez's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding DHS's account of the incident.
The congresswoman's strong stance against DHS comes amidst reports of arrests of individuals with criminal backgrounds in her home state of Illinois, some of whom are alleged to be undocumented immigrants. These reports include the arrest of a Venezuelan national accused of assisting in a mass shooting and a Mexican national previously convicted of sexual abuse and weapons offenses. Ramirez has not publicly commented on these specific cases.