The agency says the shooting occurred during a Houston enforcement operation, while the victim’s family calls for answers and an independent investigation
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NEED TO KNOW
- A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a man during an immigration enforcement operation in Houston on Tuesday morning
- ICE says the shooting occurred after Lorenzo Salgado Araujo allegedly attempted to “evade arrest,” while his family has disputed the circumstances surrounding his death
- Multiple federal investigations are underway as Salgado Araujo’s family, immigrant advocacy groups and elected officials call for an independent review of the shooting
An agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fatally shot a man during an immigration enforcement operation in Houston on Tuesday morning, prompting multiple federal investigations as the man’s family, immigrant advocacy groups and elected officials call for an independent review of the circumstances surrounding his death.
Officers attempted to stop a vehicle at about 6:50 a.m. CT as part of what the agency described as a “targeted enforcement operation,” according to ICE. The agency identified the driver as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
According to ICE, the victim “rammed” an ICE vehicle after he “refused to follow multiple verbal commands.” The ICE officer fired his weapon “in self-defense” after the victim “attempted to run over” the agent, an ICE spokesperson alleged in a statement to PEOPLE.
The agency said Salgado Araujo was transported to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Hours after the shooting, Salgado Araujo’s son, Ronaldo Salgado, shared a message on Facebook remembering his father and disputing the circumstances surrounding his death.
“My father, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a hardworking Mexican man, was the man killed this morning by ICE in the East End,” he wrote.
Ronaldo Salgado also said his father had lived in the U.S. for nearly 35 years, worked in construction to support his family and was “in the process of obtaining his work permit through the legal process.” He said his father had been on his way to work to pick up fellow laborers when the shooting occurred.
“My father did not deserve this,” he wrote, before asking the public to respect the family’s privacy and avoid sharing photos and videos from his father’s final moments.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which said it has been working with Salgado Araujo’s family, said he was driving through Houston’s Magnolia Park neighborhood looking for day laborers when he was shot. The organization also said one of Salgado Araujo’s sons witnessed the incident, according to NBC News.
LULAC leaders have since called for an independent review of the shooting.
“This is not an isolated event across the nation,” LULAC National President Roman Palomares said during a news conference, according to NBC News. “We have seen a pattern of ICE involvement in shootings and excessive use of force. Each time a family is left without answers, and a community is left in fear.”
Rep. Sylvia Garcia, whose congressional district includes parts of Houston, also called for an independent review of the incident in a statement reported by Fox 35 Orlando.
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“ICE has released an initial account, but the facts must be independently and thoroughly investigated, including the circumstances that led to the use of deadly force,” Garcia said.
She added that “all available footage, communications, and other evidence should be preserved and reviewed as part of a full and impartial investigation,” saying Salgado Araujo’s family and the surrounding community “deserve a complete and transparent accounting of what happened.”
The shooting remains under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, while the FBI’s Houston field office is conducting a separate investigation, according to ICE.
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