ICE Killing: Victim's Son Claims Father Was Not a Criminal, Near Work Permit

The son of a Mexican national fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has asserted that his father was a family man, not a criminal, and was on the verge of receiving a work permit. Ronaldo Salgado stated at a press conference that his father had been building homes in the region for 35 years, aiming to provide his three sons with a college education and offer his workers "the American dream."

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His father was a family man who had been building houses in the region for 35 years to enable his three sons to study and to give his workers 'the American dream'.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo died the previous day during an operation involving ICE officers in Houston. The Department of Homeland Security claims Salgado resisted officers' instructions, rammed an official vehicle, and then attempted to hit an officer with his car, prompting an ICE agent to open fire. These official accounts remain unverified.

Ronaldo Salgado insisted his father understood how to act during an immigration stop and would have cooperated if the officers had clearly identified themselves. He believes his father fled in terror from unfamiliar vehicles during the encounter. "He was convinced that good things happen to those who work hard," the son said.

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He was convinced that good things happen to those who work hard.

Salgado's son also revealed he learned of his father's death through social media videos, not from authorities or the hospital where he desperately searched for him. He recognized his father's voice in a video showing a man lying on the ground, bleeding and pleading for help. Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor ICE has directly contacted the family.

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He was convinced that good things happen to those who work hard.

Family members, civil rights organizations, and Democratic politicians are calling for an independent investigation into the operation. Roman Palomares, head of the civil rights group LULAC, stated that the agency whose officers fired the shots cannot conduct its own investigation. They are also demanding the release of bodycam footage and all other evidence. Texas Democratic U.S. Representative Al Green emphasized the need to rule out any potential cover-up.

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The authority whose officers shot cannot conduct the investigation itself.