The son of Lorenzo Salgado Araújo, a Mexican migrant who died at the hands of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) in Texas, yesterday demanded an investigation into the incident and said that his father was on his way to work when he was surrounded by federal agents.

Family and activists demand answers about the operation

"He did not deserve to die that day; he deserved to live a quiet life as a husband, as a father and as a worker," said Roberto Salgado, one of Lorenzo's three children, during a press conference in Houston, along with local activists and legislators.

According to the young man, his father, who worked in the construction sector, was on his way to work with three other colleagues when his car was “surrounded” by three unidentified patrol cars.

“He was afraid for his life, when he just wanted to get to work,” said the young man, adding that the colleagues who were with his father in the vehicle were detained by immigration agents.

According to the young man, around 8 a.m. on Tuesday he saw a video on Facebook that reported ICE activity in east Houston, in which he “recognised the voice” and his father's truck. He went to that area, which was cordoned off by the authorities, who did not give him information about what happened.

It was only through local organizations and politicians, who contacted the family, that Salgado learned that his father was in a local hospital, and later, through information published in the media, he learned that he had died.

“I am devastated,” the young man said. “I want the world to know my father, not as a migrant who was shot down and murdered, but as a family man who taught me the importance of hard work and family values.”

During the press conference, the national director of the LULAC organization, Román Palomares, accused ICE of acting with opacity and hiding the videos about the incident.

“In the absence of further evidence, we have no choice but to conclude that a man was unlawfully murdered on the streets of Houston,” the activist said. "The use of lethal force against a human being is unacceptable (...). We do not believe them, they have not earned our trust."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), of which ICE is a part, indicated yesterday that the agency is investigating the shooting carried out by one of its agents.

According to the official version, the incident occurred around 6:50 in the morning, local time (12:50 GMT), when ICE agents tried to stop a vehicle as part of an operation aimed at arresting Salgado.

The man tried to flee, rammed an official vehicle with his car and disobeyed several “verbal orders,” according to a DHS spokesperson told EFE.

The Government also assured that Salgado used his vehicle “as a weapon” and tried to run over one of the agents, who fired in “self-defense.”

At least six people have died at the hands of immigration agents in the US, including two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renée Goodman, during a mega operation in Minnesota in January.