A Mexican father was shot and killed by an ICE officer. His son is demanding an independent probe

By — Lekan Oyekanmi, Associated Press Lekan Oyekanmi, Associated Press By — Jack Brook, Associated Press Jack Brook, Associated Press By — Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-mexican-father-was-shot-and-killed-by-an-ice-officer-his-son-is-demanding-an-independent-probe Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter A Mexican father was shot and killed by an ICE officer. His son is demanding an independent probe Nation Jul 8, 2026 3:25 PM EDT HOUSTON (AP) — A Mexican national fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Houston had no criminal convictions during his decades living in the U.S. and was driving a crew to a homebuilding site when he was killed, his family and a Texas congresswoman said Wednesday. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo worked for 35 years from sunrise to sunset to send all three of his American citizen sons to college. He had been working toward securing legal status in the U.S. after neglecting that for years as he built homes, his son Ronaldo Salgado said at a news conference. READ MORE: Former Wisconsin judge spared prison for ushering Mexican immigrant away from ICE agents "He did not deserve to die. He did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of Mexican man shot and killed by ICE. He deserved to live a quiet life as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a husband, a father and a job creator for dozens of men who also wanted the American dream," his son said. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. The shooting happened Tuesday in Magnolia Park, a neighborhood that has been a hub for the Mexican American community for a century. Federal officials say their vehicle was rammed but don't provide evidence Salgado Araujo was shot after he ignored commands and attempted to ram an officer who fired his weapon in self-defense, The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday in a statement. ICE officers were targeting him because he was living in the country without legal permission, according to the department, which oversees ICE. The man's car struck an ICE vehicle, the department added. READ MORE: Trump's deportation agenda is about to get a $70B infusion from Congress Democratic U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia said Salgado Araujo had no criminal convictions. He died at the hospital. Houston firefighters said he was shot in the abdomen. Three other men appeared to be detained as Salgado Araujo lay moaning on the ground, according to his son, who said one of them was his uncle and that no one has heard from them since. Federal officials have not released video or images of the shooting or the damage to the vehicles. Salgado on Tuesday joined civil rights groups and Democratic officials in urging federal authorities to release all the footage and other information it has on the shooting. READ MORE: Feds investigate whethe