Speaking alongside Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, state lawmakers, Houston police Chief Noa Diaz, and Houston City Council members, a visibly emotional Whitmire described meeting earlier in the day with Lorenzo Salgado’s family and said their grief has become Houston’s grief.
“Eighty hours ago, the Salgado family’s life will never be the same,” a visibly emotional Whitmire said. “Mr. Salgado was chased by unmarked vehicles before he could identify himself and speak as a Houstonian. He was shot and killed.”
Whitmire said he assured the family that city leaders would use “all our resources in our waking hours” to pursue what he described as an independent and transparent investigation.
The mayor also stressed that Houston police had no role in the federal immigration operation itself.
“When we learned about it, the FBI secured the scene,” Whitmire said.
Although Whitmire acknowledged earlier this week that federal authorities control the criminal investigation, he said conversations with Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and state lawmakers have expanded efforts to seek outside involvement from agencies including the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers.
“This is unacceptable anywhere in the United States,” Whitmire said. “It’s not a Hispanic community pain, it’s a Houstonian pain.”
Whitmire also defended Houston’s immigrant community, saying immigrants “make Houston a great city” and urging residents to view the shooting as an issue that extends beyond immigration politics.
Garcia echoed the mayor’s remarks, saying “ICE is out of control” and calling for broader changes to how federal immigration enforcement is conducted.
Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz added they currently do not have access to the information federal investigators have, but HPD is working to meet with the FBI on Tuesday.