Houston ICE shooting of father sparks calls for independent investigation

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Houston’s East End on Tuesday, July 7, near the 6800 block of Canal Street, as immigration agents tried to stop his vehicle. The Department of Homeland Security says the incident unfolded during a targeted enforcement operation and that Salgado Araujo tried to evade arrest and used his vehicle against officers; his family disputes that account and is pressing for an independent investigation.

The FBI is investigating the alleged assault on a federal officer, and investigators from the Department of Homeland Security inspector general are also involved. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare — “the family and community deserve the truth” — urged witnesses to come forward.

Relatives say Salgado Araujo had lived in the United States for more than 30 years, had no criminal record in Harris County, and was driving to pick up coworkers for a construction job when he was shot. In Magnolia Park, a largely Latino neighborhood, residents described fear mixed with anger after the killing. Hundreds marched there on July 8, about 36 hours later, in a protest organized by FIEL Houston and the Houston chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. A vigil that same evening drew hundreds more.

In late June, ICE arrested 10,000 people over five days. The Trace identified 26 shootings by immigration agents since Trump’s operations began, with seven people killed and 14 injured, while another tally cited by The Guardian put the number of people fatally shot by immigration officials during Trump’s second term at 10.

PBS NewsHour found the January 24 killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis was at least the fourth shooting fatality tied to immigration enforcement after Trump returned to office. In Houston, Salgado Araujo’s son said his father was on the way to pick up construction workers when he was shot.