A day after returning from Washington, D.C., Texas Democrats in the House of Representatives convened in Houston for a hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) investigation into the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
They were joined by members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the House Committee on Homeland Security to hear testimony from Salgado Araujo's sons, local leaders and legal experts about the incident, which occurred several weeks ago. The lawmakers had previously sent a letter to DHS demanding a full investigation into Salgado Araujo's death. The agency has not yet responded.
“This hearing is about accountability,” Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) said. “It’s about transparency and ensuring the responsibility that we have to uphold the Constitution.”
This hearing comes after a similar shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer and a Colombian immigrant in Biddeford, Maine. Since then, Democrats in Congress like Rep. Garcia have been calling for answers about the circumstances surrounding both fatal shootings and whether ICE's policies and oversight contributed to the deaths.
Rep. Garcia said her community, where Salgado Araujo was killed, already expressed fear and distrust toward immigration and law enforcement, but these most recent deaths have made that anxiety worse.
“Parents are afraid to drive their children to school,” Rep. Garcia said. “Workers are afraid to go to work. Seniors are afraid to go to church, buy groceries and go to even doctor’s appointments.”
During the hearing, Salgado Araujo’s sons, Ronaldo Salgado and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo Jr., testified about how they learned of their father’s death and the lasting impact it has had on their family.
“Over the past two weeks, we’ve had to grieve our father too soon and without straight answers,” Ronaldo Salgado said. “DHS first said ICE targeted our father, then admitted he was never their intended target at all.”
DHS also claimed Salgado Araujo had a cocaine-like substance in his vehicle, which was later confirmed to be electrolyte powder. Ronaldo Salgado highlighted this as yet another way his father has been misrepresented.
“We had talked about what would happen if he were to be stopped by ICE and how he would conduct himself,” Ronaldo Salgado said. “And he believed there would always be a way for him to come back home to us.”
Rep. Garcia said Salgado Araujo’s sons have since become advocates for others who’ve been wrongfully targeted by ICE.
“In the midst of an unimaginable grief, they have shown extraordinary courage,” she said. “They have become powerful advocates, not only for their father, but for every family that wants answers and accountability.”
Now, Rep. Garcia said members of Congress will continue to demand answers.
“We are stronger than fear. We are stronger than intimidation. We will keep fighting until justice is done,” Rep. Garcia said.
