Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX) is calling for a full investigation and the release of all footage after a Houston man was fatally shot by ICE agents during an immigration operation this week.
The man killed was Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old who had lived in the United States for 35 years. He raised his children here, helped put them through college, and worked hard to support his family.
His son described hearing his father's voice during the incident, crying for help as he lay in the street. His last words, according to his family, were "me están matando,” translated to “they are killing me.”
"I stand with my colleagues in Congress and with the entire nation in demanding justice, including a transparent investigation and the release of all footage and evidence," Castro said, adding that he is also calling on ICE to provide a full accounting of the men detained in connection with the shooting.
The Fight for Lorenzo
The facts of the incident remain disputed, with ICE saying agents opened fire after Salgado Araujo rammed a law enforcement vehicle and refused to comply with verbal commands during a traffic stop.
However, an attorney representing three men detained during the incident told a different story, saying his clients maintain the van never struck any agents and that the agents were never in danger.
Surveillance footage obtained by CNN shows unmarked black SUVs pursuing Salgado Araujo's white work van before ICE vehicles rammed into it, after which an agent exited and fired almost immediately.
Notably, Salgado Araujo was not the original target of the operation. Agents had been looking for two other individuals believed to be traveling in a white van and stopped Salgado Araujo because he resembled the target description.
Castro pointed to what he described as racial profiling as a driving concern. "Because of Donald Trump's mass deportation policy, they are profiling Hispanic men going to and from work," he said. No body camera or dash camera footage has been released; ICE attributed this to agents in the operation not having been issued body cameras at the time.
Multiple investigations are now underway, including probes by the FBI, the DHS Inspector General, and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
