The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says that on July 7, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot and killed a Mexican man during an operation in Houston, Texas, as he tried to avoid arrest.
According to officials, the man—identified as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was in the country illegally—ignored orders to stop during a traffic stop earlier that day. He allegedly tried to drive away and rammed into an ICE vehicle.
Officials claim Araujo “weaponized the vehicle” and attempted to run over an ICE agent, forcing the agent to fire in self-defense. Araujo was taken to the hospital but later died from his injuries.
The Department of Homeland Security says it is investigating the shooting involving ICE agents.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a leading Hispanic civil rights organization, is calling for an independent investigation. “We cannot accept bloodshed on the streets of America with no one held accountable,” said LULAC National President Roman Palomares.
“We don’t trust the Department of Homeland Security’s version of events at all,” LULAC CEO Juan Proaño told the press. “There should be an independent investigation, and all video footage should be released.”
Since the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement, there have been at least six fatal shootings by federal agents, according to reports.
This isn’t the first time video evidence has contradicted agents’ initial accounts. In February, two federal immigration agents were investigated for allegedly making false statements under oath in a non-fatal shooting of an immigrant in Minneapolis.
As federal enforcement has intensified in Houston since last year, it has sparked pushback. The Houston City Council voted on an ordinance limiting cooperation with ICE, but it was later withdrawn after Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened to cut more than $100 million in state public safety funding.
