Houston Protesters Demand Inquiry After ICE Shooting

More than a thousand people marched in Houston on Wednesday after 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot dead by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during an immigration raid.

Protesters chanted “ICE out of Houston” and demanded an independent investigation into the death of Salgado, a Mexican national who had lived in the US illegally for three decades.

ICE said Salgado had rammed his van into an agency vehicle, refused repeated verbal commands and tried to run over an officer, who then fired in “self-defense”. Reuters could not verify the circumstances of the shooting.

His family said Salgado was a peaceful construction worker who had lived in Houston for 35 years and was close to obtaining legal residency.

His son Ronaldo called for “a full investigation” after recognizing his father in a video posted on social media. The video showed Salgado lying on the ground next to his white van.

The killing comes as the Trump administration has intensified deportation operations across the country. It brought the number of people shot dead during immigration enforcement operations to at least six since January 2025.

Local politicians and the Mexican government have also called for a transparent investigation.

(Reuters, mja)