A witness to a fatal shooting in Houston by a federal immigration agent was released from a detention center Wednesday after spending weeks in custody following the deadly encounter. Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego was one of three men riding in a work van on July 7 being driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Rojas Pliego has disputed the Trump administration’s account of the shooting in court documents, calling it a “lie.” A federal judge this week ordered Rojas Pliego’s release and previously instructed the government not to deport him. Rojas Pliego has lived in the U.S. for several decades and does not have legal status, according to his stepdaughter Griselda Silva.
Background of the Incident
The Department of Homeland Security said shortly after the shooting that Salgado Araujo had “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer,” and that the officer had fired in self-defense. However, Rojas Pliego and another passenger wrote in statements submitted in court that the officers were on the sides of the van, never in front of or behind it.
Araujo Salgado, a 52-year-old father of three, had been living in the U.S. for 35 years and was close to obtaining legal status, according to his family. He had no criminal record. His death is one of at least 10 during immigration enforcement operations since the start of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, sparking widespread protests in Houston and calls for an independent investigation.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
