US immigration agency's self-defense claim disputed after fatal shooting of Mexican man

Witnesses are challenging the official account of a fatal shooting involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Houston. The agent shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, during a vehicle stop. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security claimed the shooting was in self-defense after Salgado Araujo allegedly used his vehicle as a weapon to run over the agent.

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Salgado Araujo did not deploy his vehicle as a deadly weapon, and the ICE agent was not positioned in front of the car.

However, witnesses and their attorney, Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, dispute this narrative. They assert that Salgado Araujo did not deploy his vehicle as a "deadly weapon" and that the ICE agent was not positioned in front of the car. Instead, witnesses claim the agent fired from the side, striking Salgado Araujo, who later died from his injuries.

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The agent fired from the side, striking Salgado Araujo, who later died from his injuries.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Salgado Araujo lacked a valid residence permit. His family, however, stated he had lived in the U.S. for nearly 35 years and was seeking work permits for himself and his small construction business. Media reports suggest Salgado Araujo may have been a victim of mistaken identity, with ICE reportedly searching for a different individual.

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tried to evade arrest and used his vehicle as a weapon to run over an ICE federal officer.

This incident is the first fatal shooting by ICE personnel since January, when U.S. citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti died in separate incidents in Minneapolis. An ICE agent is implicated in Good's death, and a Border Patrol agent in Pretti's. These killings had intensified protests against President Donald Trump's mass deportation policies and ICE itself.

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in self-defense used his service weapon.