A Mexican immigrant shot and killed by a federal immigration agent in Texas on Tuesday was on his way to pick up coworkers for a construction job when he was targeted by ICE officials conducting what they called a "targeted enforcement operation."
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, was driving a van carrying three other workers when unmarked federal vehicles closed in on him. He was fatally shot. The three men with him were arrested by ICE.
Salgado's family learned of his death not from law enforcement but from news reports. His son Ronaldo visited the shooting scene Tuesday morning seeking information, yet neither ICE nor local officials notified the family directly.
At a Wednesday press conference in Houston organized by the League of United Latin American Citizens, Ronaldo Salgado pushed back against federal claims. "All three men were rounded up," he said. "We have not heard from them, but I hope they are able to provide their own statements to prove that my father feared for his life as unmarked cars followed my dad, who only wanted to get back to work and back to us."
The Department of Homeland Security defended the shooting in a statement, claiming that Salgado "weaponized his vehicle" to run over an ICE officer, forcing the agent to fire in self-defense. The family and civil rights advocates have demanded an independent investigation, citing a pattern of misleading federal statements about ICE shootings.
In January, DHS made identical claims about a fatal shooting in Minneapolis involving an immigrant named Renee Good, saying she had weaponized her vehicle against an ICE officer. Video evidence later contradicted that account.
"We do not believe you, you have not earned that trust," said Roman Palomares, national president of LULAC, during Wednesday's press conference. "ICE has not earned that trust from the American people."
Salgado had lived in the United States for more than 30 years and was in the process of obtaining his work permit. His son described him as a dedicated construction worker who left early each morning to gather coworkers and head to job sites. "He wanted nothing else in life but to provide for his wife and see his sons become great people," Ronaldo Salgado said.
Congressional representative Sylvia Garcia called for transparency and preservation of evidence. "All available footage, communications, and other evidence should be preserved and reviewed as part of a full and impartial investigation," Garcia wrote on social media. "The victim's family, my constituents, and the entire community deserve a complete and transparent accounting of what happened."
The shooting marks at least the 23rd incident involving federal immigration officials since January 2025. In March of that year, an ICE official shot and killed Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, in Texas. His death remained hidden from the public for nearly a year. Congressional Democrats later said DHS falsely claimed Martinez had struck a federal agent with his vehicle.
The FBI and DHS Inspector General's office announced they are investigating Salgado's death, but the family and elected officials are pressing for local Houston authorities to conduct an independent review.
Author James Rodriguez: "When families learn their loved one is dead from TV reporters instead of law enforcement, and federal agencies respond with claims that later get contradicted by video, it's fair to ask why anyone should take their word at face value."
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