Houston protests intensify as ICE policy faces scrutiny over fatal shooting
The US attorney’s office has not corroborated claims that the Mexican national attempted to ram an agent, while the Trump administration maintains traffic stops are vital for crime fighting.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Houston, Texas, on Sunday to demand justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on July 7. The protesters marched from Ervan Chew Park and briefly closed a bridge on Dunlavy Street, carrying banners calling for the abolition of the agency. The rally has drawn attention to the broader implications of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement strategy, particularly following conflicting narratives surrounding the fatal encounter.
Witnesses at the scene have contradicted ICE’s initial assertion that Araujo attempted to ram an agent with his vehicle. A statement issued by the US attorney for the Southern District of Texas on Thursday did not mention any collision between Araujo’s van and a law enforcement vehicle, nor did it explicitly state that the officer feared for his life. This lack of corroboration has intensified scrutiny of the agency’s use of force during routine operations.
The incident has become a focal point for opposition to the current administration’s immigration crackdown. Since the start of Trump’s second term in January 2026, encounters with ICE and other immigration agents have resulted in at least 10 deaths, according to The Associated Press. Additionally, at least 13 people have been wounded in such encounters, and Human Rights Watch reports that at least 52 people have died while in ICE detention.
In response to the rising tensions, ICE announced on Sunday that it will require at least one agent to wear a body camera during vehicle stops. This policy shift follows a “short pause” on traffic stops announced by top immigration enforcement official Tom Homan. Homan stated that the measure is intended to ensure transparency, telling the Fox News network that he wants the public to see what officers saw when they took action.
Despite the pause and new recording requirements, President Trump has urged the agency to continue traffic stops, describing them as an “important and effective Crime Fighting tool” in a post on his Truth Social platform. Democratic lawmakers, including Congressman Bennie Thompson, have simultaneously demanded an investigation into ICE’s hiring practices following the death of Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero in Maine, citing allegations that the officer involved had a history of mental health issues and violent behaviour.
An activist from the Party for Socialism and Liberation, speaking at the Houston march, called for a further protest to shut down the city on Friday. The demonstration coincides with similar rallies held across the country, including in Portland, Maine, following the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Colombian national Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero on July 13. As of January 2026, ICE had deported more than 540,000 people from the US.
