Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old construction worker, was fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on Tuesday morning during a targeted enforcement operation in Texas. His family and civil rights groups are demanding an independent investigation, citing a pattern of unreliable statements from the Department of Homeland Security.
Details of the Incident
On Tuesday, Salgado left his home in his white van, picked up three co-workers, and headed to a construction site. He never arrived. ICE officers stopped the vehicle as part of a targeted enforcement operation, and Salgado was shot and killed. The three other men were arrested. The Department of Homeland Security alleged that Salgado “weaponized” his vehicle against officers, but his family disputes this claim.
“He did not deserve to die,” said Ronaldo Salgado, the victim’s son, at a press conference on Wednesday. The family has called for a full, independent investigation, echoing demands from local officials and civil rights groups.
Broader Context: 10 Fatal Shootings Under Trump
Salgado’s death is the 10th fatal shooting by federal immigration officials nationwide since the second Trump administration began, according to a review by the Guardian. The shootings involve ICE officers and Customs and Border Protection agents, though not all occurred during immigration enforcement. In one case, CBP agents shot a man who fired on a border patrol station; in another, an off-duty ICE officer killed a man in California.
Critics argue that the administration’s aggressive “mass deportation” campaign increases the risk of violence. “The deaths of people in immigration prisons has reached new terrifying levels – 21 people have died in ICE detention this year alone,” said Jesse Franzblau of the National Immigrant Justice Center. “Congress has given ICE and CBP billions of dollars with no accountability.”
Pattern of Vehicle-Related Shootings and Disputed Claims
In at least four of the immigration-related shooting deaths, including Salgado’s, victims were driving vehicles when shot. Law enforcement training typically advises officers to move out of a vehicle’s path rather than shoot. From July 2025 to January 2026, the Wall Street Journal identified over a dozen incidents of federal immigration officials firing at vehicles.
Similar to Salgado’s case, DHS claimed Renee Good “weaponized” her vehicle against ICE officers in Minnesota earlier this year. Footage later released contradicted that claim. In another case, 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez, a US citizen, was shot by an ICE agent in March 2025; DHS initially said he “intentionally” ran over an agent, but video evidence painted a more complex picture.
“DHS’s repeated lies and omissions about the shooting of Mr Martinez reflect a troubling pattern,” said congressional representatives Robert Garcia and Greg Casar in a statement.
Calls for Independent Investigation
Steve Descano, the Fairfax County commonwealth’s attorney and co-founder of Fight Against Federal Overreach, stated: “Anytime someone is killed by a federal law enforcement agent, federal authorities should legitimately investigate. The Trump administration has made it clear they have no interest in fulfilling that duty, so state and local prosecutors must pursue transparency and justice.”
Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and Texas state representative James Talarico have also called for an independent investigation. “Previous incidents have shown that this agency cannot be trusted to report all the facts,” Talarico said. Houston Mayor John Whitmire insisted on a “transparent, independent investigation” by federal authorities.
Historical Context
A 2024 investigation by the Trace, Business Insider, and Type Investigations, based on previously undisclosed public records, found that between 2015 and 2021, 23 people were killed in shootings by ICE officers. The current spate of deaths under the second Trump administration has drawn international concern, with the UN high commissioner for human rights raising alarm over increasing deaths in US immigration custody.
