ICE Reportedly Attempts to Deport Witnesses in the Lorenzo Salgado Case

Posted on 07/11/26 at 10:29

Three men who were traveling with Lorenzo Salgado on the day he died after being shot by an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remain in immigration custody and, according to La Opinión, are allegedly being pressured to accept voluntary departure from the United States.

The allegation was made by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which warned that the detainees could become key witnesses in clarifying the circumstances surrounding the death of the Mexican worker.

LULAC alleges pressure on the witnesses

According to information published by La Opinión, LULAC Executive Director Juan Proaño identified the detainees as Víctor Salgado Araújo, Lorenzo Salgado’s brother, along with José Trinidad Rojas and Daniel Tirado Pantoja, who were traveling with the victim at the time of the operation.

The organization said all three remain in immigration custody without legal representation and are allegedly being pressured to sign voluntary departure orders, which would prevent them from appearing before an immigration judge.

«We are deeply concerned that DHS is trying to remove these witnesses from the country. They should not do that. We should be able to hear their testimony,» Proaño said.

The three men could be key witnesses to Lorenzo Salgado’s death

LULAC maintains that the three men may be the only eyewitnesses to the operation in which Lorenzo Salgado died, making it essential that they remain in the United States while the Lorenzo Salgado ICE investigation continues.

The organization also stated that the family has not yet been able to recover the Mexican worker’s body.

DHS’s account

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says agents were attempting to arrest Víctor Salgado Araújo because of his immigration status when, according to the agency, the driver ignored officers’ commands and allegedly attempted to run them over with the pickup truck.

According to the official account, one of the agents opened fire in self-defense, and Lorenzo Salgado later died at a hospital.

Calls for an independent investigation into Lorenzo Salgado’s death

The authorities’ version of events has been questioned by family members, civil rights organizations, and Democratic lawmakers, who have called for an independent Lorenzo Salgado ICE investigation to determine exactly what happened during the operation.

The investigation remains ongoing as calls grow for the three detained men to remain in the United States so they can provide testimony about the incident.

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