USA08 July, 20263 min read
Federal Immigration Agent Kills Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston After ICE Says He Tried To Run Over Officer
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Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Houston. Family and officials demand an independent, transparent investigation into the shooting.
Houston ICE shooting
A federal immigration agent shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston’s East End on Tuesday morning, after federal authorities said he was a Mexican citizen without legal status in the U.S. and the Department of Homeland Security alleged he was attempting to evade arrest and “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer.”
Houston Public Media reported that as of Wednesday afternoon few Republicans had weighed in, while Democrats called for an independent investigation into the shooting death.
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, whose district includes the predominantly Latino area where the shooting took place, said on Hello Houston that “If this is a routine traffic stop, then everybody in Houston has to kind of fear for driving on our roads.”
The Straits Times reported that ICE said the dead man rammed his car into an ICE vehicle and attempted to run over an officer, who then fired on him in “self-defence,” and that Reuters could not verify the man’s immigration status or the circumstances of the shooting.
Calls for transparency
Ronaldo Salgado, the son of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, told a press conference led by the League of United Latin American Citizens (Lulac) in Houston that “He did not deserve to die,” while calling for an independent investigation into his killing. Roman Polares, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said at the press conference, “It is un-American to use a fatal force against a human being, then lock away the evidence,” as questions swirled around federal officials’ claims and lack of transparency.
Houston City Council member Alejandra Salinas wrote in an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle that she was calling for “an immediate and impartial investigation, with all available video and findings released as soon as possible,” according to the Straits Times. The Straits Times also reported that Houston Mayor John Whitmire said he was insisting on a “transparent, independent” investigation by federal authorities, while saying there “could not be two ongoing investigations” if a city-led inquiry proceeded.
What happens next
The Department of Homeland Security announced that the department’s inspector general’s office and the FBI are investigating the events, while the Guardian reported that Salgado’s family, lawmakers, and officials were calling for local Houston officials to independently investigate. The Guardian said Houston mayor’s office stopped short of announcing an independent investigation, and quoted Whitmire insisting on a “transparent, independent investigation” by federal authorities during a city council meeting.
Houston Public Media reported that Interim Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin said “there needs to be serious questions as to why the city is taking the position that it's taking” in not conducting its own investigation, and that “HPD can be involved in that investigation.” Separately, the Boston Globe reported that in Memphis, Tenn., a member of a federal crime-fighting task force shot and killed a person on Wednesday, the second fatal shooting by a task force member in four days, as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was charged with investigating both shootings and turning results over to the local district attorney general.