MEXICAN MAN KILLED BY ICE OFFICER IN HOUSTON HAD NO CRIMINAL RECORD, FAMILY SAYS AS CALLS GROW FOR INVESTIGATION. (PHOTO).

 Mexican man killed by ICE officer in Houston had no criminal record, family says as calls grow for investigation

A Mexican man fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Houston had no criminal convictions during his decades living in the United States and was working toward obtaining legal status, according to his family and Texas lawmakers.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was driving a crew to a homebuilding site when he was killed Tuesday in Houston’s Magnolia Park neighborhood, a community with a long history as a center of Mexican American life. His family said he had spent 35 years working in construction and was in the process of securing legal status in the U.S.

His son, Ronaldo Salgado, said his father knew how to respond if he encountered immigration officials and believes he would have cooperated if he had recognized the people approaching him as law enforcement. Salgado said the agents were using unmarked vehicles, and his father may have feared that someone was trying to steal the tools he relied on for work.

“Had my father seen an emblem of ICE or an emblem of any law enforcement agency, my father would have complied; he would have stopped,” Salgado said.

Federal officials said the shooting happened during an immigration enforcement operation and claimed Salgado Araujo ignored commands and attempted to hit an officer with his vehicle. The Department of Homeland Security said the ICE officer fired in self-defense after the vehicle struck an ICE vehicle.

Salgado Araujo was shot in the abdomen and later died at a hospital. Three other men who were in the vehicle appeared to have been detained during the incident.

Family members said one of the men, Daniel Tirado, was briefly able to contact relatives after the shooting. Tirado’s stepdaughter said he told them an ICE officer shot Salgado Araujo while the van door was closed. Another man, Jose Rojas, was also identified by family members as being among those detained.

ICE has not released the names of the detained individuals or provided video footage or images from the encounter. Salgado’s family, civil rights organizations and Democratic lawmakers have called for the release of all available evidence and an independent investigation.

The shooting has sparked outrage from immigrant advocates and Mexican officials. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized the killing and said her government was preparing legal action while calling for an international human rights review.

On Wednesday night, hundreds of people marched through Magnolia Park in protest, with some carrying Mexican flags, holding signs with Salgado Araujo’s photo and calling for accountability. Supporters gathered near the location of the shooting for a memorial and prayer service.

Salgado said his father had carefully followed the process of applying for legal status, including completing required appointments and providing documentation. He said his father had recently completed biometric screening and had prepared himself for any possible encounter with immigration officials.

“He was close to obtaining his legal status,” Salgado said.

The shooting is among several recent deaths involving federal immigration officers and has intensified debate over immigration enforcement tactics, the use of force and accountability for federal agents.