Houston ICE shooting: Press conference Wednesday after death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
HOUSTON - Family and activists are speaking out following the deadly shooting of a man in Houston by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
The son of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is expected to speak at a press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday along with the League of Latin American Citizens. FOX 26 will livestream it in the video player above or at fox26houston.com/live.
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Man killed by ICE in Houston
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot and killed in Houston’s East End on Tuesday morning.
According to the agency, ICE was trying to stop Salgado Araujo's vehicle as part of a targeted enforcement operation. ICE says Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, did not have legal permission to be in the country.
During that stop, ICE says Salgado Araujo 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.
Salgado Araujo was shot in the abdomen. He was taken to a local hospital with CPR in progress, but he did not survive his injuries.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting.
Son speaks out on shooting
Salgado Araujo’s son Ronaldo Salgado took to Facebook after the shooting and said his father was picking up workers on his way to his construction job on Tuesday morning.
He says his father has been in the U.S. for nearly 35 years and was in the process of obtaining his permit through the legal process.
"My father did not deserve this," his son wrote.
Calls for transparency
Several local leaders and activists are calling for a transparent, independent investigation.
"We demand accountability. ICE does not get to be judge, jury and executioner on our streets. We need a thorough independent investigation as to what led up to the events that unfolded in the early morning hours on our Houston streets," Cesar Espinosa with FIEL Houston stated, in part.
"ICE has released an initial account, but the facts must be independently and thoroughly investigated, including the circumstances that led to the use of deadly force. All available footage, communications, and other evidence should be preserved and reviewed as part of a full and impartial investigation," Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia wrote, in part.
"We've seen incidents like this around the country, and now they have come to Houston. This is not what immigration enforcement should look like. We need answers, and Congress must act with meaningful immigration reform that reduces unlawful border crossings, addresses the backlog of asylum cases, and creates a pathway to legal status," State Representative Christina Morales wrote, in part.
READ MORE: Leaders react to ICE shooting in Houston
The Source: The information in this article comes from U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement, a statement from Salgado Araujo’s son on Facebook and various statements from local leaders.