The deadly capturing of a person in Houston by Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers on Tuesday is the most recent in a collection of migrant deaths whereas in federal custody or interacting with brokers in Texas since President Donald Trump returned to workplace in 2025.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a person from Mexico whom ICE stated was undocumented, was shot after brokers tried to drag his car over early Tuesday, in keeping with an ICE assertion. The assertion stated Salgado Araujo tried to evade arrest and tried to run over a federal officer.
The capturing — the second of its sort in Texas — prompted native leaders to name for an unbiased investigation of the incident, as ICE’s description of the capturing mirrors earlier contradictory accounts of deadly shootings by the company, together with the killing of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez in South Padre Island final 12 months.
In line with a Texas Tribune evaluation of federal detainee demise notifications and media experiences, no less than 14 different individuals have died in custody in Texas since January 2025.
A crackdown on unlawful immigration was a cornerstone of Trump’s 2024 marketing campaign for reelection, which he claimed was fueling violent crime within the nation. Since his reelection, he has launched into mass deportation efforts and deployed 1000’s of ICE brokers throughout the nation. The affect of his immigration enforcement has been significantly felt in Texas, which reportedly holds essentially the most immigrants of any state at its 23 detention amenities.
What we find out about Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s demise
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was recognized by ICE as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Public data searches revealed a 52-year-old Houston man by the identical title had no legal report within the state.
The Division of Homeland Safety stated brokers had been making an attempt to cease Salgado Araujo’s car as a part of an unspecified “focused enforcement operation” in Houston’s East Finish, a predominantly Latino neighborhood.
At a information convention Wednesday, Salgado Araujo’s son, Ronaldo Salgado, stated his father was on his approach to his job constructing properties when the capturing occurred. Salgado stated his father might have feared he was about to get robbed, and if he had seen a legislation enforcement brand, he would have stopped.
Salgado Araujo was discovered with a gunshot wound to the stomach, the Houston Fireplace Division stated, and died at a neighborhood hospital, in keeping with ICE.
Salgado stated his father was within the strategy of making use of for a piece allow and had been within the nation for nearly 35 years.
Native leaders, together with U.S. Reps. Sylvia Garcia and Christian Menefee, and the League of United Latin American Residents, referred to as for an unbiased investigation.
American killed
In March 2025, 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez was shot and killed by an ICE agent in South Padre Island after officers stated he “bumped” them together with his automobile. The demise of Martinez, a Hispanic man born and raised in San Antonio, is the primary recognized killing of an American by immigration brokers beneath Trump’s second administration.
Martinez was driving in South Padre together with his good friend, Joshua Orta, within the passenger seat once they came across a automobile accident. As they tried to navigate the roadway, ICE brokers stated they requested him to cease, however Martinez bumped the legs of an officer. An officer shot at Martinez repeatedly, killing him.
Digicam footage launched by the Texas Division of Public Security in March didn’t make it clear whether or not Martinez had hit the officers together with his automobile, as they’d claimed. And a Cameron County grand jury declined this spring to indict the officers concerned within the capturing.
Deaths in detention
Along with Martinez’s killing, a collection of deaths in ICE detention websites in Texas has additionally prompted criticism of the growth of immigration enforcement. Texas ICE amenities maintain the best share of the nation’s immigrant detainees, greater than 18,700, in keeping with federal information as of Feb. 5.
There have been no less than 14 deaths of immigrants in ICE custody in Texas since 2025, in keeping with ICE detainee demise notifications. They embrace two deaths that resulted from a gunman opening fireplace at a Dallas detention facility, in addition to the next:
Nhon Nguc Nguyen, a 55-year-old Vietnamese man died in April 2025 of “pure causes,” ICE stated, after being held at El Paso Processing Heart. He first entered ICE custody in 2013 after serving a sentence for second-degree homicide, in keeping with ICE.
Tien Xuan Phan, a 55-year-old Vietnamese man held on the Karnes County Immigration Processing Heart outdoors San Antonio, died in July 2025. ICE stated the reason for demise was nonetheless beneath investigation.
Kai Yin Wong, a 63-year-old Chinese language man, died in ICE custody in October 2025 at a San Antonio hospital after complaining of shortness of breath. He had been held on the South Texas ICE Processing Heart in Pearsall and ICE stated he died of “suspected issues from coronary heart surgical procedure.”
Francisco Gaspar-Andres, a 48-year-old Guatemalan man, died in December 2025 at Camp East Montana of liver and kidney failure after being hospitalized for greater than two weeks, ICE stated. His spouse informed the El Paso Occasions that Gaspar-Andrés had been comparatively wholesome previous to his detention.
Pete Sumalo Montejo, a 72-year-old Filipino man, died in December 2025 after being held on the Montgomery ICE Processing Heart in Conroe. ICE stated he had been hospitalized a number of instances for medical points corresponding to anemia and septic shock.
Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani, a 48-year-old Pakistani man, died in December 2025 after being hospitalized for low oxygen and a excessive coronary heart price, after being held on the Prairieland Detention Heart in Alvarado.
Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban man, died on Jan. 3 at Camp East Montana. His demise was dominated a murder by a health worker. ICE initially had stated Lunas Campos died “after experiencing medical misery”, earlier than quietly updating the reason for demise to “spontaneous use of power” by employees attempting to stop him from harming himself.
Luis Gustavo Núñez Caceras, a 42-year-old man from Honduras, died in ICE custody on Jan. 5 from issues because of coronary heart failure, in keeping with ICE, after being held on the Montgomery Processing Heart.
Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old Nicaraguan man, died on Jan. 14 at Camp East Montana. His demise was reported as a “presumed suicide,”, and ICE despatched him to a U.S. Military hospital quite than the native health worker, saying his post-mortem wouldn’t be made public.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, a 41-year-old man who fought alongside U.S. forces, died on March 14, from an allergic response to an unidentified substance in the future after he was detained for deportation proceedings, the Related Press reported.
Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez, a 63-year-old Mexican man, died on June 19, after being discovered unresponsive on the Webb County Detention Heart. His official reason behind demise is pending an post-mortem, in keeping with ICE.
Adrian Andreas Florian, an 85-year-old from Germany in ICE custody, died June 24 after receiving long-term take care of well being points on the Valley Baptist Medical Heart in Harlingen.
Aggression towards ICE in Texas
Federal immigration authorities and police in Texas have confronted aggression in recent times, and two gunmen have died in such encounters.
In September 2025, a 29-year-old man opened fireplace at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas, fatally capturing one immigrant — 37-year-old Norlan Guzman-Fuentes of El Salvador — and injuring two different detainees. Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez, a 31-year-old Mexican immigrant who was one of many two injured individuals, died lower than every week later, in keeping with ICE. The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities stated, and left notes saying he supposed to focus on ICE officers.
Greater than a dozen individuals had been arrested final 12 months in reference to a July 4, 2025, capturing outdoors the Prairieland immigration detention middle in North Texas. The group, which set off fireworks towards the detention middle, confronted varied fees after correctional officers referred to as police and a capturing came about, injuring a neighborhood police officer, in keeping with public radio station KERA.
In July of 2025, one other man fired dozens of rounds at federal brokers leaving a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen. One police officer was injured earlier than authorities shot and killed the shooter, the Related Press reported.
Elevated ICE exercise in Texas
ICE brokers have been arresting extra immigrants on the streets and at routine check-ins than beneath President Biden, however most of them don’t have legal convictions.
Common every day arrests by ICE in Texas greater than doubled from 85 beneath the Biden administration to 176 inside Trump’s first six months in workplace, in keeping with a Texas Tribune evaluation of federal authorities information. From Trump’s inauguration to July 29, 2025, about 1 in 4 ICE arrests occurred in Texas. Throughout its first six months, the info present that the Trump administration arrested extra individuals who didn’t have a legal report than the Biden administration did in its closing 18 months. In Texas, 58% of individuals ICE arrested beneath Biden had legal convictions, in comparison with 42% beneath Trump, in keeping with the info, which doesn’t specify the kind or seriousness of these crimes..
What rights do immigrants have?
Beneath the U.S. Structure, consultants say immigrants have these rights when interacting with authorities:
The suitable to stay silent by saying “I want to stay silent.” Texas legislation requires anybody who’s arrested or detained to present their title, date of delivery and handle, however they don’t must reply different questions.
The suitable to refuse an officer entry to their dwelling with no legitimate search or arrest warrant signed by a state or federal decide (not an immigration court docket decide).
The suitable to rent an lawyer.
The suitable to request an interpreter in the event that they face removing proceedings.
Individuals even have the proper to ask an officer what company they’re from and ask for his or her title and badge quantity and to report an encounter with police, in keeping with consultants. Having proof and being attentive to who the officers are, their badge numbers, what they had been driving and what they stated can grow to be vital to show that somebody’s rights had been violated. Nonetheless, police can ask somebody, corresponding to a bystander recording, to step away to an inexpensive distance to hold out their work for questioning, detention, or arrest.
In any state of affairs, consultants say it is necessary for immigrants and other people to stay calm to keep away from escalating the state of affairs. In addition they suggest making ready by having paperwork, corresponding to scanned copies of proof of id prepared, and having a household plan in case of arrest, together with contact data for the next:
members of the family, mates and others who might be able to assist;
an immigration lawyer or authorized help group;
their dwelling nation’s consulate or embassy.
Learn extra insights about immigrant rights from consultants right here.
Colleen DeGuzman and Lomi Kriel contributed.
Disclosure: El Paso Occasions and Valley Baptist Medical Heart have been monetary supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan information group that’s funded partially by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Monetary supporters play no position in The Texas Tribune’s journalism. Discover a full listing of them right here.
This text first appeared on The Texas Tribune.
Signal Up for SA Present newsletters.
Comply with us: Apple Information | Google Information | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Fb | Twitter | Or join our RSS Feed
Associated Tales
Most migrant deaths in Texas have occurred whereas they had been detained since President Donald Trump started his immigration crackdown. A number of had been from pure causes.
A brand new information challenge launched by UC Berkeley signifies that ICE arrest charges for non-criminals in Texas final 12 months had been double these of individuals with legal convictions.
Geraldo Lunas Campos repeatedly raised issues about his psychological well being earlier than he died on the West Texas detention website. Data present the power’s employees failed to reply adequately.
