Abbott breaks silence on deadly Houston ICE shooting with promise of Texas investigation

HOUSTON - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has spoken publicly for the first time about the fatal shooting of a man by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Houston.

What we know:

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot by agents during a traffic stop last week. 

In the days that followed, politicians and constituents alike have called for an investigation of the deadly shooting by local and state authorities.

What they're saying:

During a news conference in Houston on Wednesday, Abbott promised that the Texas Rangers would investigate alongside federal officials. When pressed, Abbott said it would be an independent investigation.

"Anytime the Texas Rangers are involved, they work independently," Abbott told reporters. "They’re well known, not just in the state of Texas, but elsewhere, for their independence when conducting investigations."

Abbott called Araujo’s death tragic.

"We don’t want to see people shot – period," Abbott said. "That’s sperate from whether the immigration laws are going to be enforced. I fully expect our immigration laws to be enforced, but it’s proven that immigration laws can be enforced and stopping illegal immigration from coming across our border can be achieved without shooting people."

The backstory:

According to ICE, Araujo was a Mexican national who was in the country illegally. They claimed that he attempted to evade arrest and "weaponized his vehicle" and the officer shot "in self-defense."

U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia said she was told by ICE that there was another person in the vehicle who had an administrative warrant and that Araujo was not the agents’ intended target. 

The Department of Homeland Security said in a later statement that they observed a white van leaving the target’s address with a person inside "who resembled the target."