A Mexican national fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Houston had no criminal convictions during his decades living in the U.S. and was driving to a homebuilding site when he was killed, his family and a Texas congresswoman said Wednesday.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo worked for 35 years to send his three American citizen sons to college. He had been working toward securing legal status in the U.S. after neglecting that for years as he built homes, his son Ronaldo Salgado said at a news conference.
"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," his son said.
The shooting occurred Tuesday in Magnolia Park, a neighborhood that has been a hub for the Mexican American community for a century.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Salgado Araujo was shot after he ignored commands and attempted to ram an officer who fired his weapon in self-defense. ICE officers were targeting him because he was living in the country without legal permission. The man’s car struck an ICE vehicle, the department added.
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat, stated that Salgado Araujo had no criminal convictions. He died at the hospital, with Houston firefighters reporting he was shot in the abdomen.
Ronaldo Salgado said three other men appeared to be detained as his father lay on the ground, and that one of them was his uncle. He added that no one has heard from them since.
Federal officials have not released video or images of the shooting or the damage to the vehicles. Salgado joined civil rights groups and Democratic officials in urging federal authorities to release all footage and information related to the shooting. In several past incidents involving federal officers, initial descriptions by immigration officials have later been contradicted by video evidence.
A video shot by bystander Juliet Martinez shows a black vehicle angled towards a white van, with their doors open. A bleeding and handcuffed man groans loudly on the ground, his leg shaking. Other federal officers stand over at least three other handcuffed men.
Roman Palomares, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, stated during the news conference that the federal crackdown has created a situation where it is “open season on Latinos” by officers who believe they can “shoot and explain later.” He added that the way ICE has handled previous investigations shows they have not earned the trust to accept their statements as fact without corroborating evidence like video.
"Your pattern has been one of inaccuracies of prejudicial leaks before the facts are known, of twisting the narrative to fit your version of events," Palomares said.
The league has offered a $5,000 reward for information and videos from witnesses and is calling for an independent investigation. Others urged anyone with videos not to turn them over to ICE, expressing concern they could be destroyed.
Representatives for ICE and DHS had not responded to repeated requests for comment.
Ronaldo Salgado said his mother was informed of his father's death around 7 a.m. Tuesday. After searching his job site and finding his empty van, he saw a video.
"I recognized him, not from his appearance but from his voice crying for help as he lay on the street," Salgado said.
Salgado Araujo met his wife as a teenager in Mexico. They came to America and built their own home in Houston with help from friends and family who worked on his crew. His wife prepared his lunch before he left for the day and had a meal ready upon his return. He would listen to music and pet his dog on his porch, Salgado said.
"After nearly 35 years of working to give us the American dream, he made the choice to begin the process of obtaining his American dream through a work permit," Salgado said. "We dotted every I, crossed every T, filled every document, attended every appointment. He was close to obtaining his legal status."
Salgado Araujo had undergone a biometric scan and fingerprinting earlier this year, his son stated, and had carefully studied what to do if ICE pulled him over. His son suggested that if his father was speeding away, it was likely due to fear of his tools being stolen.
"Had my father seen an emblem of ICE or an emblem that says anything about a law enforcement agency, my father would have complied," his son said.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said she is considering legal measures or may ask the United Nations to intervene to stop the violence against Mexicans in the United States.
"There has been another tragic death of one of our compatriots in the United States due to detention issues, even though their only ‘offense’ is not yet having proper documentation,” Sheinbaum said.
Houston has experienced heightened enforcement operations since the crackdown began last year, leading to public backlash. The Houston City Council voted to pass an ordinance limiting ICE cooperation but later reversed course after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to cut more than $100 million in state funding for public safety.