Reports detail ICE shootings and scrutiny of online critics
Recent reports describe fatal ICE shootings, a disputed Houston encounter and DHS visits to people who criticized agents online.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Federal immigration enforcement is facing renewed scrutiny after reports of a fatal ICE shooting in Texas and Department of Homeland Security visits to people who criticized agents online. The Verge reported that the incidents have become flashpoints in a broader dispute over the Trump administration’s deportation push and accountability for federal agents.
In Houston, The Verge reported that an ICE officer shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a father of three who had lived in the United States for 35 years. According to The Verge, ICE said Salgado Araujo tried to “weaponize his vehicle” before the shooting.
The New York Times reported that federal officials later said agents had been seeking a different person. The Verge reported that videos captured parts of the confrontation, while ICE’s initial public account defended the use of deadly force.
The Verge also reported that DHS has treated public identification and criticism of immigration agents as a form of “doxxing.” In one case, according to The Verge, DHS agents visited a man who had protested federal killings and issued him a “WARNING NOTICE” after online activity critical of ICE.
The agency’s handling of criticism has drawn attention alongside its use of administrative immigration warrants. The Associated Press reported on ICE arrests using nonjudicial warrants, a practice critics have challenged when agents enter homes or make arrests without court-issued warrants.
Federal shootings in Minnesota have also prompted legal fights over evidence. PBS NewsHour reported that Minnesota officials sued the federal government to obtain material for investigations into shootings by federal officers during an ICE surge.
The Verge cited the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis as part of that dispute. WBUR reported the name of the agent accused in Good’s death as Jonathan Ross. The Verge reported that Good told agents, “I’m not mad at you,” before she was killed, and that an agent later referred to her with a misogynistic slur.
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also drew criticism after killings involving Good and Alex Pretti. The Brennan Center for Justice said Noem invoked “domestic terrorism” language in connection with the victims while evidence was still being gathered. The Verge reported that Good had just dropped off her 6-year-old child at school, and that Pretti, an ICU nurse, was helping a person on the street when shot.
The Trump administration has also promoted immigration enforcement through a large advertising campaign. ProPublica reported that DHS under Noem spent $220 million on an ad campaign tied to immigration enforcement and recruitment. People reported that spending associated with the campaign included horses, makeup and items from a magic store.
Other reports cited by The Verge describe aggressive enforcement tactics. Courthouse News reported that a Minnesota county announced a kidnapping investigation involving ICE agents. The ACLU has reported complaints about ICE agents entering without warrants, CNN reported on alleged assaults of journalists at immigration court, and CNN also reported that a Minneapolis family, including children, was tear-gassed during an ICE operation.
The Verge reported that ICE is now the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency. Its account portrays the agency’s expanded role under Trump as central to the administration’s mass deportation policy, while outside reports have focused on shootings, home visits, warrant disputes and resistance by state officials seeking evidence.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.