Sons of Immigrant Killed by ICE Demand Investigation

Texas. The two sons of an immigrant who lost his life to the shooting of American immigration officials have demanded a transparent and impartial investigation into the incident. They emotionally stated that their father worked tirelessly throughout his life to protect and provide for his family.

At a hearing held in Houston, Texas on Friday, in the presence of Democratic members of the US Congress, the sons of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo described their family's suffering as a "Kafkaesque nightmare." According to them, it was extremely painful to learn about their father's death for the first time through Facebook.

According to the Associated Press, in a statement they prepared, they said, 'He worked hard all his life to protect and provide for our family. He taught us that hard work eventually pays off.'

The 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot and killed by agents of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine traffic stop on July 13. Subsequently, thousands of Houston residents took to the streets to demand justice.

According to the family, Salgado Araujo was an immigrant of Mexican origin. He had been living in the US for over 30 years without legal status. The family stated that he was not the actual target of the ICE action.

At the hearing, his son Ronaldo Salgado said, 'I also found out about our father being shot through Facebook. I confirmed it not by seeing him, but by hearing his voice asking for help in videos published on social media.'

Local District Attorney Accuses ICE of Non-Cooperation

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of ignoring his repeated requests for necessary information and evidence related to the incident during the hearing.

According to him, information such as the name of the ICE agent who fired the shots and other evidence has not been provided, which has hindered the investigation.

Eyewitnesses Question Official Claims

ICE had taken Salgado Araujo's brother and three other passengers into custody during the traffic stop.

Initially, officials claimed that Salgado Araujo tried to use his vehicle as a weapon against law enforcement officers. However, ICE agents were not wearing body cameras during the incident, and eyewitnesses have contradicted the official claims.

Investigation Planned in Congress

Democratic lawmakers have indicated that they will conduct a detailed investigation into ICE's activities and bring about necessary legal reforms if they maintain their control in Congress after the midterm elections in November.

Speaking at the hearing, Democratic Representative Chuy Garcia said that ICE needs to be completely reorganized from its current form.

He said, 'ICE needs to be completely rebuilt to be an agency that centers on human dignity and respect.'

However, he also commented that such a change is not possible during the current administration's term.

Series of Violent State Incidents Fuels Controversy

Within a week of Salgado Araujo's death, ICE agents also shot and killed a Colombian immigrant named Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine.

Earlier this year, nationwide outrage and protests erupted after two American citizens died in separate incidents during actions by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

From Al Jazeera