(OPGOV.NEWS GLOBAL) --- Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's name was among the members of Congress in Houston today.
Less than two weeks after the immigrant and Houston construction business owner’s death on July 7 from an ICE agent’s open fire, both sides of the aisle brought ICE under scrutiny.
Rep. Sylvia Garcia convened the congressional forum on Friday, July 23, to get answers about the use of force by ICE. According to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statement, federal officers recognized Salgado in his white van on the way to a construction site when Salgado allegedly attempted to ram into the officer’s vehicle.
The Public Broadcasting System reports that DHS reports, “officers involved in the shooting were not wearing body cameras.”
(Photo Credit: Ronaldo Salgado via Reuters)
However, U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz’s description of the shooting is quite vivid in a statement the Southern District of Texas representative released.
“During this confrontation between federal agents and a group of illegal aliens attempting to flee, one of the officers fired a single shot. The round struck Lorenzo Salgado. The other federal officers on scene immediately began rendering first aid to preserve Mr. Salgado’s life. Yet sadly, as we know, Mr. Salgado later died at the hospital.” Reitz wrote.
Reitz ended his one-page statement noting, “Let the justice system work.”
That is what took place during the nearly three-hour-long forum when Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat spoke directly to the victim’s family.
“I can’t imagine what you are going through,” Espaillat said to Salgado’s son, Ronaldo Salgado Araujo Jr. “We are today in solidarity with you to make a pursuit of justice for your father.”
Espaillat also spoke the sentiment in Spanish before mentioning the death of 26-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero, who was killed by ICE in Maine six days after Salgado.
“DHS admitted neither of these two men was a target of their operations,” Espaillat said. “Not one of the officers wore a body cam.”
Espaillat said eight people have been killed under President Trump’s administration, including two U.S. citizens in Minnesota.
“These two tragedies could have been prevented,” Espaillat said, adding Trump’s administration has funded ICE up to 113 billion dollars, resulting in two thousand daily arrests. “They are the result of the mass deportation efforts led by this administration.”
Salgado’s son also spoke at the hearing defending his father’s name.
(Photo: Far left ICE victim shooting son, Ronaldo Salgado Araujo Jr., speaks to Houston Congress members Friday, July 23)
“Now they are saying there may have been drugs in the vehicle, which anyone who knew our father would tell you is absurd,” Araujo said. “He did not use drugs; he abhorred them.”
As for the allegations that Araujo attempted to hit ICE officers with his vehicle, that’s a lie, according to his son.
“He would have stopped immediately if ICE agents would have clearly identified themselves,” Araujo said, adding it was two unmarked vehicles that were following his father.
Araujo’s also spoke some of his speech in Spanish.
“We are not the only family living this Kafkaesque nightmare,” Araujo said.
He told congress members how Rep. Sylvia Garcia had to get authorities to tell him his father was dead “When I was pacing in the hallways waiting for answers.”
He ended by asking officials, “How many more of our dads have to die and how many more children have to wait for answers?”
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