On July 7, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot and killed by ICE agents in Houston, Texas.
Lorenzo was not under investigation. He was not a suspect. He was a dad driving a work van with his crew when he was gunned down. Lorenzo was a worker in America—with a family, with coworkers, with a community—who was killed on his way to a job site by ICE deportation agents who are reckless and out of control.
Indivisible Twin Cities condemns the killing, and we stand in solidarity with the Salgado family in demanding a full and transparent investigation into Lorenzo’s death, accountability for those responsible, and an end to ICE violence and impunity. We call for the protection of Lorenzo’s coworkers held by ICE, who fear that they may be pressured into signing deportation papers because of what they witnessed.
Donations to the Salgado family can be made here.
July 25 will be a day of action and accountability. Keep your eyes open for events to stand for justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
A Quieter But Still Deadly ICE Surge
Lorenzo’s death is part of a nationwide surge in ICE activity. Across the country, from the Pacific Northwest, to Chicago, to right here in the Twin Cities, ICE activity and ICE abductions are on the rise. Until ICE is reigned in, they will cause more violence, break up more families, and cause more deaths.
Unlike during Metro Surge, ICE is no longer driving around in militarized caravans of vehicles while wearing military fatigues. They are being more discreet now, trying to fly under the radar of observers, to snatch people before help can arrive.
If you’ve been out of the loop, now is the time to reconnect with your local rapid response group for where eyes are most needed.
And when you go out, remember to bring your whistle.
ICE Cannot Co-exist With Democracy
ICE’s reckless behavior is incompatible with a democratic society. Nobody should be above the law, and all should be bound by the law. Instead, ICE agents routinely hold themselves above the law, flouting it without consequence.
We see it most clearly in the killings on the street. ICE agents believe they hold the power to be the judge, the jury, and the executioner, leaving the rest of us to live under their thumb subject to their whims. So it went for Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and now Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
We also see this in the network of ICE concentration camps. Those held by ICE or the private detention centers face horrible conditions, including contaminated food, inadequate medical care, and overcrowded cells. Attempts at oversight are continually refused.
And the abuses of power continue to pile up. ICE agents showed up at a polling place in Syracuse, New York, hoping to intimidate a poll worker into taking down a social media post. They tracked down a man who was on vacation to “discuss” an email he wrote to a former acting director of ICE.
ICE is rotten to the core and is beyond salvation. As the abuses pile up day after day, we encourage you to stand with us against this tyranny. Protect your neighbors. Defend our elections. And vote for elected officials at all levels of government who will hold ICE, and all those who abuse human rights, accountable.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo should still be alive. Instead, his family is mourning while fighting for the truth. They are still waiting for accountability and justice. Even Lorenzo’s body has not been returned to his loved ones.
This is the moment to come together.
CALL TO ACTION:
National Day Labor Organizing Network invites everyone to join their National Mass Call for Justice for Lorenzo on Wednesday, July 15, as they organize a growing nationwide response to honor Lorenzo’s life, support his family, and demand accountability.
Register here: https://www.mobilize.us/disappearedinamerica/event/987861/
On the call, NDLON leaders will share updates on Lorenzo’s case, discuss organizing efforts already underway in Houston and across Texas, and prepare for the National Justice for Lorenzo: Day of Action & Accountability on Saturday, July 25, when communities across the country will hold vigils, prayer services, rallies, marches, press conferences, and other public actions.
Together, NDLON and Indivisible Twin Cities are demanding:
A full and transparent investigation into Lorenzo’s death.
The immediate release of Lorenzo’s body to his family.
Protection for witnesses.
Accountability for those responsible.
An end to ICE violence and impunity.
A toolkit with messaging, artwork, and organizing resources will be shared after the call.
Join on Wednesday and help build the national response that Lorenzo and his family deserve in the days ahead.
After we published this post, we learned that ICE shot and killed a 26-year-old father in Maine. We must abolish ICE, prosecute each and every one of these lawbreaking thugs, and enact guardrails to ensure no government agency can ever act like this again.
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Thank you for this. Action must be taken.