Dozens gathered outside of Houston City Hall on Tuesday July 14, to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and call on local leaders to hold those responsible for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s death accountable.
Hundreds came to Houston City Hall on Tuesday, many to speak out against immigration enforcement operations in the city and last week’s fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by a federal agent.
Jennifer DeLatte, who lives in the East End neighborhood where the shooting happened July 7, arrived just after 1 p.m. and waited nearly four hours for her chance to speak to city officials.
“I woke up last Tuesday morning to hear another person was extrajudicially executed by ICE – this time, it was my neighbor Lorenzo,” DeLatte said. “I bought my house in the East End because it was a safe place to live, because of people like Lorenzo, hardworking, law-abiding families to look out for one another.”
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Sasha Monterroso urged the city council to launch its own independent investigation of the shooting death – one of several across the country during the last two years at the hands of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Arrests and deportations have surged during the second term of President Donald Trump.
“Justice cannot depend on who pulled the trigger,” Monterroso said. “Accountability cannot disappear because a federal badge was involved. An independent investigation is not an attack on the law enforcement. It is a commitment to transparency, accountability, and the principle that no one is above scrutiny.”
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Each speech inside the council chambers was echoed by the raucous chants of dozens of protestors outside who stood for hours during the public comment session, making demands for accountability and transparency.
Mayor John Whitmire and city council members listened to more than 70 people speak out against ICE operations and call for local leaders to launch an independent investigation into Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s death.
Mayor John Whitmire opened the meeting with a moment of silence to honor Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old father of three who was originally from Mexico and had lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years, according to his family. Whitmire added the city has given the Harris County District Attorney’s Office evidence from the shooting, including audio of a 911 call, video footage from a METRO bus and other resources supporting the DA’s investigation.
Last week Whitmire joined calls for an investigation, but a probe by the Houston Police Department has not been announced or launched despite requests by local residents and politicians along with immigration rights organizations and advocacy groups.
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The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, is investigating the shooting death. The FBI is investigating whether there was an assault on a federal law enforcement officer.
“The city is doing everything possible to assist with a thorough and independent investigation,” Whitmire said. “District Attorney Sean Teare and Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz are meeting with the FBI’s regional director this afternoon. Our hearts remain with the Salgado family during this difficult time. We also extend our prayers to the family of the young man who was shot and killed yesterday in Maine. The city comes together when we face challenges, and that is what we are doing today.”
Diaz announced Friday that he planned to meet with the local FBI office to find a path forward so the agencies can share evidence. Late Tuesday evening, the mayor’s office said it instructed Diaz to send a letter requesting an independent investigation by the Texas Rangers, the criminal investigative branch of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
In a Tuesday evening social media post, the FBI’s Houston office said it provided an update to HPD, the DA’s office, the Rangers and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
“FBI leaders welcomed questions and received valuable feedback from our local, state, and federal leaders,” the post stated. “… Since this remains an ongoing investigation, no further details will be provided.”
Also Tuesday, ICE leaders decided to pause non-urgent vehicle stops after two deadly shootings of motorists in less than a week, Maine Sen. Angus King’s office told NPR.
“It’s a shame that it has to come after a loss of life,” Whitmire said.