The family of a Mexican immigrant fatally shot by a federal immigration agent in Texas on Tuesday is demanding an independent investigation, questioning federal officials' claims and lack of transparency. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official while driving to a construction job.
Family Learned of Death from News Reports
Salgado's family, including his wife and three sons, discovered his death through news reports. Neither ICE nor local authorities informed them, despite his son Ronaldo visiting the shooting scene Tuesday morning seeking answers. “He did not deserve to die,” Ronaldo Salgado said during a press conference Wednesday led by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in Houston.
Salgado, a longtime construction worker, had lived in the US for over 30 years and was obtaining a work permit. His family described him as a “hardworking family man” who left early each morning to pick up co-workers and build homes.
DHS Claims and Calls for Investigation
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated ICE officials were conducting a “targeted enforcement operation” and accused Salgado of “weaponizing his vehicle” to run over an officer, prompting the agent to fire in self-defense. DHS announced investigations by its inspector general and the FBI, but Salgado’s family, lawmakers, and civil rights groups demand an independent local probe.
DHS’s statement mirrors past justifications, such as the January fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, where DHS claimed she “weaponized her vehicle.” Video later cast doubt on those claims. Roman Palomares, LULAC national president, criticized ICE and DHS: “We do not believe you, you have not earned that trust. ICE has not earned that trust from the American people.”
Witnesses and Broader Context
Three co-workers in the van Salgado was driving were arrested by ICE, including Ronaldo’s uncle. “All three men were rounded up. 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,” Ronaldo said.
Congressional representative Sylvia Garcia called for an independent investigation, writing on X: “All available footage, communications, and other evidence should be preserved and reviewed as part of a full and impartial investigation. The victim’s family, my constituents, and the entire community deserve a complete and transparent accounting of what happened.”
Federal immigration officials have been involved in at least 23 shootings since January 2025. In addition to Good, agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January, and in March 2025, an ICE official killed 23-year-old US citizen Ruben Ray Martinez in Texas, with DHS “falsely” claiming Martinez struck an agent with his vehicle, according to congressional Democrats.
