Rev. Ricardo Jimenez-Reyes of the Southwestern Texas Synod Evangical Lutheran Church speaks at the Texas Capitol July 22 against actions by Immigration officials, including the fatal shooting of Houstonian Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, as part of a nationwide day of action.
Justin Doud/Austin American-Statesman
Clergy members and other faith leaders gathered at the Texas Capitol on Wednesday as part of a national day of action, calling on Gov. Greg Abbott and state lawmakers to impose sweeping new oversight of federal immigration enforcement.
Standing together at the Capitol news conference, the interfaith leaders said the governor’s decision to order a Texas Rangers investigation into the fatal ICE shooting of Houston construction worker Lorenzo Salgado Araujo should become the rule rather than the exception.
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The interfaith coalition called on state leaders to require independent investigations of every ICE-related death in Texas, mandate body cameras and visible identification for federal immigration agents, restrict the use of unmarked vehicles and plainclothes officers, and suspend new partnerships between Texas law enforcement agencies and ICE until broader federal reforms are enacted.
“When government exercises the power to take a human life, the public deserves a full accounting of what happened,” Bishop Sue Briner of the Southwestern Texas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America said. “Transparency honors both the dignity of those who have been harmed and the integrity of those who serve with honor.”
The demands come about a week after Abbott directed the Texas Rangers to investigate Salgado Araujo’s July 7 shooting death following requests from local officials. While organizers welcomed that decision, they said independent investigations should not depend on the circumstances of a particular case.
Crosses are worn by many faith leaders gathered at the Texas Capitol July 22 to protest actions by Immigration officials, including the fatal shooting of Houstonian Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, as part of a nationwide day of action.
Justin Doud/Austin American-Statesman
“We also recognize and appreciate the governor and Houston leaders for initiating investigations into the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo,” said Grace Bonilla of Texas Impact, the organization that convened the news conference. “That response should not depend on the circumstances of one case. It should be standard every single time.”
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The Capitol gathering was part of a national day of action organized by religious leaders and brought together clergy and lay leaders representing Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist, United Church of Christ and Jewish congregations. Although speakers acknowledged the federal government’s responsibility to enforce immigration laws and secure the nation’s borders, they argued that recent fatal encounters involving ICE in Texas, Maine and Minneapolis demonstrate the need for stronger oversight and accountability.
The coalition’s recommendations include requiring ICE agents to wear clearly visible identification and activated body cameras during every enforcement operation, establishing enforceable limits on the agency’s use of lethal force and vehicle-based enforcement tactics, requiring prompt notification of families when someone is detained, seriously injured or killed, and creating independent oversight with consequences when agents violate policy or law.
The group also called on Texas to suspend new 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement agencies to assist with certain federal immigration enforcement functions, until broader federal reforms are implemented. It also urged the state to regulate immigration detention facilities under the same health and safety standards applied to other state institutions.
The calls for greater oversight come as immigration enforcement has become an increasingly contentious issue in the Austin area. Earlier this month, the Austin Police Department reported just four instances this year in which people encountered by officers were later taken into ICE custody, even as the department has faced months of scrutiny over its policies governing interactions with federal immigration authorities. Police leaders have emphasized that direct involvement in immigration enforcement remains rare, though the issue has prompted repeated debate among city officials, immigrant advocates and state leaders.
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The faith leaders’ demands also echo concerns raised last week by Travis County residents, who urged county commissioners to seek greater transparency around ICE operations following the Houston shooting. Speakers at that meeting called for local officials to track federal immigration activity, improve communication with affected communities and explore ways to limit county cooperation with ICE beyond what is required by state law.
Much of the Capitol event centered on Salgado Araujo’s death, which has become a rallying point for immigrant advocates and faith leaders seeking greater transparency in federal immigration enforcement. Speakers noted that his family learned of his death through videos circulating on social media and said key evidence surrounding the shooting remains under federal control. They also pointed out that the ICE agents involved were not equipped with body-worn cameras.
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, joined faith leaders at the Texas Capitol July 22 to protest actions by Immigration officials, including the fatal shooting of Houstonian Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, as part of a nationwide day of action.
Justin Doud/Austin American-Statesman
“We stand for the truth, and the truth in this matter of life and death belongs to the public,” said the Rev. Abel Vega, who said he was speaking on behalf of the Methodist bishops representing much of Texas.
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State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, an Austin-area Democrat running for lieutenant governor, attended the event and told the American-Statesman she agreed with several of the coalition’s proposals, including a moratorium on new 287(g) agreements.
“What we’re seeing right now is local law enforcement cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement when they’re not trained for that job, and it’s taking them away from protecting their local communities,” Goodwin said. “Right now, our communities are in fear.”