A Mexican national fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Houston had no criminal convictions during his decades living in the U.S. and was driving a crew to a homebuilding site when he was killed, his family and a Texas congresswoman stated.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was working toward securing legal status in the U.S. and knew what to do if stopped by ICE, his son said. Ronaldo Salgado stated his father may have been scared that individuals in unmarked vehicles were attempting to steal the tools he had used for 35 years to build homes and send his three American sons to college.
"He did not deserve to die. He did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of Mexican man shot and killed by ICE. He deserved to live a quiet life as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a husband, a father and a job creator for dozens of men who also wanted the American dream," Ronaldo Salgado said during a news conference. The shooting occurred Tuesday in Magnolia Park, a Houston neighborhood with a long history as a hub for the Mexican American community.
Federal officials stated that ICE officers were conducting an immigration enforcement operation when Salgado Araujo ignored commands and attempted to ram an officer, who then fired his weapon in self-defense. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added that Salgado Araujo's car struck an ICE vehicle. U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat, confirmed that Salgado Araujo had no criminal convictions.
Federal officials have not yet released video or images of the shooting or any alleged damage to the vehicles. Salgado joined civil rights groups and Democratic officials in calling for the release of all available footage and information related to the shooting. In other instances involving federal officers, initial descriptions have sometimes been contradicted by later video evidence.
A bystander's video shows a black vehicle angled toward a white van, with both doors open. A man, identified as Salgado Araujo, is seen bleeding and handcuffed on the ground, groaning. Other federal officers are visible standing over at least three other handcuffed men.
Civil rights organizations have expressed distrust in ICE's ability to conduct a fair investigation, citing a pattern of perceived inaccuracies and prejudicial leaks in past cases. The League of United Latin American Citizens offered a reward for information and videos from witnesses, urging them not to turn them over to ICE. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare stated that Salgado Araujo's family and the community deserve the truth but noted that federal authorities are exclusively handling the investigation.
In recent weeks, there has been an uptick in arrests. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin assumed leadership in March with a stated aim to distance the department from controversies. After a period of reduced arrests following fatal shootings in Minnesota, nationwide immigration arrests surged to 10,000 over a five-day period in late June, partly due to significant Congressional funding.
The shooting is at least the eighth death resulting from an encounter with federal immigration officers since the start of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement initiatives.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's son described his father as a hardworking individual who provided for his family for nearly 35 years. He was in the process of obtaining a work permit and was close to securing legal status. His son stated that had his father seen official markings of law enforcement, he would have complied with commands.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the country is "preparing legal measures" regarding the killing, stating that "we cannot allow the mistreatment of our brothers and sisters in the United States." This follows previous concerns raised by Sheinbaum about the deaths of Mexican nationals in U.S. immigration detention facilities.