Groups gather in Houston for rally, march calling for end of ICE

Advocacy groups, faith leaders and elected officials will gather in downtown Houston Saturday morning to call for the end of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the city.

What we know:

ICE Out of Texas Marchamos Por Lorenzo will start at 10 a.m. at Rememberance Park. A rally is set to take place there before the group marches to Houston City Hall.

The group's actions are meant to bring awareness to the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo who was shot and killed by an ICE officer on the morning of July 7 in Houston's East End.

'Substance' in van targeted in Houston ICE shooting tests negative for drugs

Investigators saw a "crystal-like substance" in the van targeted in the ICE incident. It was believed to be drugs, but Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's family denied that claim.

The backstory:

His family says the father of three had been in the U.S. for nearly 35 years, was in the process of obtaining a work permit, and was close to obtaining his legal status.

At the time of the shooting, his family says he was picking up workers on his way to a construction job.

A federal prosecutor has said that ICE officers that morning were targeting two Guatemalan men who were potentially subject to deportation and driving a van similar to Salgado Araujo’s vehicle.

ICE officers claim they were trying to conduct a stop on Salgado Araujo’s work van when he rammed their vehicle, refused to follow verbal commands and tried to run over an officer. The agency says the ICE officer shot Salgado Araujo in self-defense.

Houston ICE shooting: Congressional field hearing on death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo

Federal lawmakers were in Houston Friday for a congressional field hearing following the deadly shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE officer.

Three other men were in the van at the time of the shooting. The Associated Press reports that the passengers, according to their attorneys, have disputed DHS’s account of the shooting.

The Source: Information in this article comes from Texas AFL-CIO and previous FOX 26 coverage.

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