Thousands protest ICE murder of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston

Houston

Gloria Rubac wrote this firsthand report on July 12, 2026.

Angry? Yes, people in Houston are absolutely furious!

Sad? Broken hearts are everywhere! Every time one of Salgado’s sons speaks, on TV or in person, people’s tears are flowing.

Action? Over 2,000 people packed two blocks and a major intersection the day after the news got out.

Solidarity? The family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is receiving a huge outpouring of love from around the Houston area. A GoFundMe appeal to raise $250.00 is now way over $25,000!

Swearing? Absolutely! “F-ck ICE” can be heard at every single rally, and rallies are being held every day, sometimes twice a day. And signs reading “F-ck ICE” are everywhere, in English and Spanish. My Workers World sign reading “Chinga La Migra y Trump Tambien” was so popular that people begged me for it!

But, none of this should be happening.

Salgado was murdered by racist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents before sunrise on Tuesday, July 7, as he was on his way to work with three coworkers. All of a sudden, two black cars started following Salgado’s work van. Within a minute, ICE agents fired shots into the van’s windows, and Salgado fell to the street bleeding. Agents took his wallet and all of his personal possessions, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital as a John Doe.

ICE is now detaining the three men who were in Salgado’s work van, and ICE is encouraging them to self-deport. Their attorneys say that if they self-deport, then they cannot testify in what will surely be a massive lawsuit against ICE for murdering Salgado. 

This latest ICE murder happened exactly six months to the day that ICE agent Jonathon Ross shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Mass marches, rallies, speakouts against ICE

The day after the murder, thousands and thousands of people gathered near the murder site in Houston. The cops didn’t dare ask anyone for permits. Rallies were held in Spanish and English. 

A militant march took place and while thousands were marching, those who could not march spoke at a vigil held by Alianza Latino Internacional. A memorial with photos and candles was set up immediately and has grown each day, with balloons, flowers and messages being added.

Right now, as I write, there is live music and a novena taking place at the memorial site. (A novena is a day of prayers that is repeated for nine successive days.) People are informally gathered and are praying and singing. Many are bringing food and drinks. One car just dropped off a huge platter of tacos de fajitas!

Speakers at the many rallies include some of Houston’s leading immigrant rightsactivists and leaders: Cesar Espinosa with FIEL (Familias Inmigrantes y Estudiantes en Lucha), Teodoro Aguiluz with CRECEN (Central American Refugee Center) and Martina Grifaldo with Alianza Latino Internacional. 

As Aguiluz said in Spanish at a City Hall rally: “Lorenzo may no longer be with us, but his story has multiplied in the hearts of thousands. His name now represents the dignity, hard work and resilience of so many immigrant families.”

Also, U.S. Congress members Sylvia Garcia, Al Green and Christian Menefee were at many of the rallies and press conferences. Green announced he would once again file a bill to impeach Trump.

Yesterday, the AFL-CIO held a vigil at the Service Employees Union hall in Houston; it was packed, with a hundred or so people who could not get inside. 

Also, LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) has raised almost $500,000 for his family.

As I write this, there was another rally at City Hall today. Yesterday, people rallied in the rain for hours at City Hall and then marched to oppose the horrific murder of this much-beloved man.

Who was Lorenzo Salgado? He was a 52-year-old worker, a family man with three sons and a spouse he had been with since they were teenagers in Mexico. He owned a small business and had built houses in the Houston area for 35 years. He went to work before the sun rose and came home as it set. 

After dinner, he liked to sit on his front porch with his dog that he loved. He sent all three sons to college. He loved the Mexican soccer team. His spouse wants his belongings returned, so she can wash his lunch box one more time.

Does this sound like a dangerous man who should have been shot down? Obviously not!

Get involved in the struggle!

On Tuesday, July 14, people are encouraged to sign up to speak at the public comments section of the City Council meeting and also gather outside to demonstrate.

On July 16, at the Old Galveston County Courthouse, a candlelight vigil will be held to remember Salgado, co-sponsored by Galveston LULAC Council 151 and Galveston Island Democrats.

ICE has terrorized Houston for many years, but now it is so bad that people have stopped going to work, are not sending their kids to school, are skipping doctor visits and monitoring sites that report where ICE is located around the city. Just today, ICE agents are about 10 blocks from my home.

ICE is funded by the federal government, and last year a $170 billion spending bill for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security was passed to arrest, detain and deport immigrants. How criminal is  it that people in Houston and around the country need homes, jobs, healthcare, groceries, gas and childcare — but people’s needs are not a priority.

People must demand that the government spend trillions of dollars on workers’ needs and immediately stop funding terrorists like ICE. Stop all deportations!

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, ¡presente!