Houston to Host Congressional Forum on ICE Shooting & Al Green Says Answers Are Overdue

Congressman Al Green (D-TX) is heading to Houston Friday to participate in a congressional oversight forum focused on the fatal ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and he's bringing pointed questions about transparency and accountability with him.

The forum, titled "Seeking Justice: Oversight of ICE's Use of Force in the Death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo," will be held Friday morning and is being led by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus alongside Ranking Member Bennie Thompson of the House Homeland Security Committee.

Green, who serves on that committee, will be among the members of Congress participating. The forum will feature testimony from Salgado Araujo's family, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, faith leaders, and community advocates, followed by a press conference in the afternoon.

Salgado Araujo was a 52-year-old Mexican national who had lived in the United States for nearly 35 years and was the father of three American-born children.

He was shot and killed by an ICE agent on July 7 during an immigration enforcement operation in Houston. ICE has said the agent fired after Salgado Araujo attempted to flee in his vehicle, but witnesses and attorneys for three men detained at the scene have disputed that account.

Green has been vocal about his concerns since the shooting.

In an interview with Democracy Now, he said he believes there may be an attempt to conceal the full circumstances of what happened.

"ICE will make a statement, and then after they make a statement that appears to be bogus, they will say, 'Wait until all of the facts are out,'" he said. "My belief is that there is an attempt to cover up currently taking place."

Green also expressed concern that the case could fade from public attention as new incidents emerge, including a separate fatal ICE shooting in Maine, and said the forum is partly designed to keep the story in the public conversation.

Beyond the immediate case, Green spoke about the importance of unity between Black and Latino communities in responding to what he described as a shared struggle. "Invidious discrimination is the common enemy for Latinos and African-Americans," he said. "We have to confront this common enemy together."

"In a democracy, no agency and no official is beyond accountability," Green said.