A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot a Mexican man during an immigration enforcement operation in Houston on Tuesday, prompting demands for an independent investigation as family members, Latino civil rights groups and elected officials questioned the circumstances surrounding the deadly encounter.
The man was identified as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national who had lived in Houston for decades. According to ICE, agents attempted to stop Salgado's vehicle shortly before 7 a.m. as part of what the agency described as a "targeted enforcement operation."
Federal officials said Salgado attempted to evade arrest, rammed an ICE vehicle and then used his van in an attempt to run over an officer. The agency said an ICE agent fired in self-defense, striking Salgado, who was transported to Ben Taub Hospital, where he later died.
The family's account differs sharply from the government's version.
Salgado's son, Ronaldo Salgado, told Telemundo Houston and other local media that his father had lived in the United States for nearly 35 years, worked in construction and was on his way to pick up workers when the shooting occurred. He also said his father was in the process of obtaining legal work authorization through immigration channels.
"My father did not deserve this," Ronaldo Salgado said in a statement shared publicly, asking for privacy as videos of his father's final moments circulated on social media.
The shooting quickly drew criticism from immigrant advocates and elected officials.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) called for an independent investigation, arguing that federal agencies should not be solely responsible for reviewing a fatal shooting involving one of their own officers. LULAC leaders urged Houston police to participate in the investigation and demanded that all available evidence, including body-camera footage and surveillance video, be preserved.
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, whose district includes much of Houston's East End, also called for transparency.
"The use of deadly force demands full scrutiny and transparency," Garcia said, adding that all video, communications and investigative evidence should be preserved and independently reviewed.
The FBI is investigating the alleged assault on a federal officer, while the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General is conducting a separate review of the fatal shooting itself.
Videos recorded by witnesses and shared online showed Salgado lying wounded on the pavement after the shooting while federal officers surrounded the scene. The footage spread rapidly across social media Tuesday, fueling protests and renewed criticism of ICE's enforcement tactics under the Trump administration.
The case has also revived broader concerns over the agency's use of force during immigration operations. Immigration advocates point to several fatal shootings involving ICE personnel since President Donald Trump returned to office, arguing that independent oversight is necessary whenever federal officers use deadly force. Federal officials maintain that officers may use lethal force when they reasonably believe their lives or the lives of others are in imminent danger.
As of the moment of this publication, investigators had not released body-camera footage or additional evidence detailing the moments leading up to the shooting.
The investigations remain ongoing.
