Family demands investigation after US man killed by ICE agent in Texas

The family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Texas, called for an investigation on Wednesday. The fatal shooting occurred during a traffic stop in Houston, marking the latest high-profile death amid the Trump administration's mass deportation drive.

Salgado Araujo, who had lived in the U.S. for 35 years and was working toward legal status, was driving a crew to a home building site at the time. His family believes he may have feared that individuals in unmarked vehicles were trying to steal his tools. He had no criminal record and supported his three U.S. citizen sons.

Speaking at a news conference, his son Ronaldo Salgado said: “He did not deserve to die. He deserved to live a quiet life as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a husband, a father and a job creator for dozens of men who also wanted the American dream.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Salgado Araujo first struck an ICE vehicle and then attempted to ram an agent, who opened fire. No video of the incident has been released, though a bystander recorded the aftermath. DHS said he was targeted because he was undocumented.

The Trump administration has labeled all undocumented immigrants as criminals, despite irregular entry being a civil, not criminal, violation. Rights groups accuse agents of using dragnet techniques under pressure to meet quotas, which the administration denies.

League of United Latin American Citizens President Roman Palomares said the crackdown has created “open season on Latinos” where officers think they can “shoot and explain later.”

The killing resembles the death of Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen, in Minneapolis in January. DHS initially said Good tried to ram an agent, but video showed her steering around him. Another death, Alex Pretti, occurred days later. Federal probes have yielded little; the DOJ declined a civil-rights investigation into Good’s death.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the killing, considering legal action or an appeal to the United Nations. The shooting is at least the eighth known death during encounters with federal immigration officers since the crackdown began.