HOUSTON – Two days after a federal immigration agent fatally shot a man during what the government called an enforcement operation in Houston’s East End, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed there is no body camera footage of the incident. DHS blamed what it called “back-to-back Democrat shutdowns” for delays in equipping ICE officers with the devices. The agency said body cameras have recently been deployed to more than half of ICE field offices, with the remaining offices set to receive them within 60 days.
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The announcement comes as community leaders, elected officials and the victim’s family demand answers about Tuesday’s shooting, which killed 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an attempted arrest in Houston’s Magnolia Park neighborhood.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the shooting happened around 6:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 6800 block of Canal Street while agents were attempting to arrest Salgado Araujo, who ICE identified as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico.
ICE officials said Salgado Araujo rammed an ICE vehicle and attempted to run over an ICE agent, prompting “our officer firing his weapon in self-defense.” Salgado Araujo was later pronounced dead at Ben Taub Hospital.
Family members and civil rights advocates have disputed portions of the federal account and are calling for an independent, transparent investigation into the shooting.
DHS says officers had not been issued body cameras
In a statement released Thursday, DHS said the officers involved had not yet received their body-worn cameras and blamed government shutdowns they say delayed funding for that equipment.
“The officers involved in the incident in Houston had not been issued body-worn cameras due to back-to-back Democrat shutdowns,” DHS said. “The process of purchasing and issuing body-worn cameras to all of our ICE field offices was interrupted by the Democrats multiple government shutdowns. Body cameras have been deployed to more than half the field offices with the remaining half to receive them in the next 60 days.”
The department said equipping ICE officers with body cameras has been a priority and cited what it described as a sharp increase in assaults on agents.
“Providing our ICE law enforcement officers with body cameras has been a priority for DHS -- especially as our officers are facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them,” the agency said. “Now thanks to the Secure America Act, ICE has historic funding to provide law enforcement with the resources they need, including body cameras.”
The absence of body camera footage means investigators will instead rely on witness statements, physical evidence and other available video, if any exists, to reconstruct what happened.
Multiple investigations underway
The shooting remains under investigation by federal authorities.
Meanwhile, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare has launched a parallel review and is urging anyone who witnessed the shooting to contact investigators.
Houston city officials have said they do not have jurisdiction to investigate because the shooting involved federal law enforcement officers rather than local police.
Mayor John Whitmire and several Houston City Council members have called for a transparent federal investigation and the public release of the findings.
Calls for transparency
The shooting has sparked protests outside Houston City Hall and renewed concerns among immigrant advocacy groups.
Council members have said a transparent investigation and continued communication with community organizations, including LULAC, are critical to maintaining public trust and preventing further unrest.
The victim’s family has also demanded the release of any available evidence and additional information surrounding the shooting.