Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, a Mexican citizen, was shot and killed Tuesday in Houston’s Magnolia Park neighborhood while he was being pursued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to Houston Chronicle reports. Salgado’s death has prompted city leaders, advocates and family members to demand an independent probe by local officials to find out how the shooting happened.
A DHS spokesperson said the agency is purchasing and issuing body-worn cameras to ICE field offices, and only half have received them so far due to what the spokesperson called “back-to-back Democrat shutdowns.” All offices are expected to receive body cameras over the next 60 days.
“Providing our ICE law enforcement officers with body cameras has been a priority for DHS — especially as our officers are facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them,” the agency said. “The halting of our body-worn camera implementation for our officers is yet another setback resulting from Democrat lawmakers refusing to fund DHS.”
Earlier this year, Democrats called for ICE agents wear body cameras and carry identification after the Senate unanimously approved legislation to fund most DHS agencies, except for ICE and Border Patrol. Those requests came in the aftermath of two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis.
FBI and DHS are currently investigating the shooting.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has had some of its own investigators return to the scene of shooting to collect evidence for its own probe after a meeting with Salgado’s son, but has said a local investigation would be difficult.