HOUSTON — Hundreds gathered along Canal Street in Houston’s Magnolia Park neighborhood Wednesday evening, many holding candles near the spot where Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot less than 36 hours earlier during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation.
As neighbors, clergy, elected officials and immigrant advocates called for answers, Salgado Araujo’s family asked that he be remembered for the life he lived, not the way he died.
“He did not deserve to die. He did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of ‘Mexican man shot and killed by ICE,’” his son said in a statement read during the vigil. “He deserved to live a quiet life as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo — a husband, a father and a job creator for dozens of men who also wanted the American dream.”
That dream ended shortly before 7 a.m. Tuesday, when federal authorities said Salgado Araujo was fatally shot during an immigration enforcement operation.
Authorities said Salgado Araujo, a Mexican citizen living in the United States without legal status, allegedly used his pickup truck to strike an ICE vehicle before driving toward an agent during a targeted enforcement operation. The officer fired in self-defense, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Salgado Araujo was shot in the abdomen, according to local firefighters. He died after being transferred to a nearby hospital. Three other men were reportedly detained during the operation as Salgado Araujo lay bleeding on the ground.
ICE has not released the names of those detained.
Salgado Araujo’s death marks the 10th fatal shooting by ICE agents since the start of the second Trump administration. More than 50 have died while in ICE custody during this same period, according to Human Rights Watch.
His family disputes DHS’s account, saying he was driving to work when he encountered unmarked vehicles and may not have known those attempting to stop him were federal agents. Video shows Salgado Araujo’s van being followed by unmarked black SUV’s, one of which appears to cut him off minutes before the shooting.
They said he had lived in the United States for more than 30 years, had no criminal record in Harris County and had recently completed biometric processing as part of his immigration case.
Questions surrounding the shooting have since extended well beyond Houston.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government is preparing legal measures following Salgado Araujo’s death, saying Mexico “cannot allow the mistreatment of our brothers and sisters in the United States.”
State, local and federal officials also echoed calls for transparency and an independent investigation.
“ICE came to Houston and killed one of our own,” U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee said. “Every single time they come and they tell us their version of events, but we don’t see any evidence.”
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo released a statement on X, writing, “As the official responsible for the safety of five million Texans, I want a full and complete investigation into the shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.”
Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston, called the gathering the beginning of “the long fight for justice for Lorenzo.”
Espinosa urged residents to check on neighbors who may now be living in fear.
“There’s a lot of people suffering in silence because they’re afraid they’re going to get picked up by immigration,” Espinosa said. “That shouldn’t be the case.”
Pastor Carlos Rebollar encouraged residents to stay engaged by volunteering with organizations serving immigrant families and participating in the civic process.
“Visibility is good so that the awareness can get out,” Rebollar said. “But what’s also as important, if not more, is what we do after we leave.”
The shooting remains under investigation by federal authorities. Salgado Araujo’s family and community leaders continue to call for the release of any available video and other evidence as they seek more answers about the events that led to his death.