HOUSTON – Hundreds of people filled a funeral home in Houston’s East End neighborhood Thursday night to pay their respects to Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a husband, father of three and fan of the Mexico national soccer team.
Salgado Araujo was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on July 7.
The viewing drew mourners from across the city, many dressed in blue and carrying flowers or rosaries as they waited in line to enter. Some walked out clutching mini soccer balls — a tribute to Salgado Araujo’s love of the game.
Beto Davila, who attended the viewing, described the East End as a place where community bonds run deep.
“This is a great place to live, to raise your family, to raise your kids,” Davila said. “This should never happen in any community, let alone in our community. It is very tight knit.”
Davila added that being together helped ease the weight of grief.
“Just by being with everyone else, we can lift each other up,” he said. “It’s small things like this that help us to start, get over it and remember that we shouldn’t forget.”
Calls for change
Teodoro Aguiluz, with CRECEN, a Central American Resource Center, told KPRC 2 that immigration enforcement tactics under the Trump administration have fueled violence and contributed to deaths in the community — including that of Salgado Araujo.
“Nosotros creemos que la respuesta que esta dando esta administracion se a excedido con la violencia, la muerte que a llevado con nuestros hermanos no solo la de Lorenzo,” Aguiluz said.
(Translation: “We believe that the response this administration is giving has gone too far with the violence, the death it has brought to our brothers, not just Lorenzo’s.”)
Former Houston City Council Member Letitia Plummer also attended the viewing and called on local and county government to take action on how ICE operates within the city.
“The way ICE is moving in our city is unacceptable,” Plummer said. “This is a government decision. This is a situation that local and county government has to figure out in how we want to allow other law enforcement to come to our city and function.”
A community in mourning
Salgado Araujo was shot and killed by an ICE agent in the Magnolia Park area while on his way to work, according to family and community members. He leaves behind a wife and three children.
The Salgado family will hold a private service this weekend.