Family and officials call for independent probe after ICE officer shoots Mexican national in Houston
A Mexican national who had lived in the United States for decades was killed by an ICE officer in Houston, prompting calls from his family, civil-rights groups and a Texas congresswoman for an independent investigation and release of video evidence.
A 51-year-old Mexican national, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a vehicle stop in Houston’s Magnolia Park neighborhood on Tuesday. Federal officials said the vehicle was rammed after Araujo ignored commands and attempted to strike an officer, prompting the officer to fire in self-defense. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Araujo was targeted because he was residing in the United States without legal permission, though he had no criminal convictions and was working toward a work permit.
Araujo was driving a crew to a home-building site when the incident occurred. He was shot in the abdomen and later died at a hospital. Three other men were detained at the scene, one of whom was Araujo’s uncle, according to family members.
Democratic U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia, whose district includes Magnolia Park, said Araujo had no criminal record and urged federal authorities to release all video and other evidence related to the shooting. Civil-rights organizations, including the League of United Latin American Citizens, also called for an independent investigation and offered a reward for witness videos, warning that footage should not be turned over to ICE.
Hundreds of residents marched through Magnolia Park on Wednesday night, chanting “ICE out of Houston” and holding signs calling for the agency’s abolition. The demonstration featured Mexican flags and a memorial for Araujo.
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced that her government was preparing legal measures in response to the killing and indicated the possibility of bringing the case before international bodies such as the United Nations.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said the family and community deserve a full accounting of the incident, while ICE and Department of Homeland Security spokespeople declined to comment further. The shooting marks at least the eighth death linked to a federal immigration encounter since the 2017 immigration policy shift.