ICE officer kills Houston homebuilder during mistaken pursuit

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican-born homebuilder who had lived in Houston for more than three decades, was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on Tuesday after agents in unmarked vehicles attempted to stop his white van. ICE says the officer fired in self-defense, alleging that Salgado Araujo rammed an ICE vehicle, but the family and witnesses dispute that account.

"This family needs answers. America needs answers," said Democratic U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, whose district includes the area where the shooting occurred. "This should not be happening in our streets or any street in this country."

According to a briefing cited by Garcia, ICE was pursuing a different individual when agents tried to stop Salgado Araujo’s van. The three men traveling with him reported that the officer fired through a passenger window while the officer was not positioned in front of the vehicle and was not in immediate danger, a lawyer familiar with the case said.

Salgado Araujo’s family, who were assisting him with a work-permit application, said he was close to obtaining legal status. His son Ronaldo, a teacher, said his father had been instructed on how to respond if stopped by immigration agents and believed he was frightened by the unmarked vehicles.

The incident, which occurred in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, is the eighth death linked to immigration enforcement actions during the Trump administration. Friends and neighbors described Salgado Araujo as a hard-working, family-oriented man who built hundreds of houses and supported his children’s education.

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not released evidence to substantiate the self-defense claim. The case remains under investigation.