Man killed by ICE agents not intended target of immigration arrest, DHS says

Key Points:

• Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant killed by federal immigration agents in Houston, was not the intended target of the enforcement operation, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were seeking two Guatemalan individuals when they mistakenly stopped Salgado Araujo, who was driving a white van with three other men, including his brother.
• ICE agents claimed Salgado Araujo attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon against an officer, prompting a self-defense shooting, but no evidence has been provided to support this account, and the officers were not wearing body cameras.
• The DHS inspector general’s office will investigate the shooting, which marks the 10th fatal shooting by federal immigration officials since early 2017, amid criticism from Salgado Araujo’s family and advocates.
• Similar defense claims by ICE have been contradicted by video evidence in prior incidents, raising concerns about the agency’s use of force and accountability.