With candles and flowers, dozens of members of the Latino community in Durham, North Carolina, gathered on Sunday, July 12, to remember Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant who died after being shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Houston, Texas.
The event was organized by the groups Party for Socialism and Liberation, Our Neighborhood, and Together for Education NC, and served as a call to stop what its organizers described as a violence growing anti-immigrant sentiment across the country.
“The importance of meeting here is so that people can listen, see that we exist, that we are here, that we are a community, and that this shouldn't happen to their community,” said Humberto Trejo, founder of Together for Education NC, Enlace Latino NC.
“There have been too many cases already, and we believe it’s right to put a stop to this. That’s why we’re here, to raise our voices,” he added.
Trejo also called for unity among the state's immigrants.
“It hurts, because at the end of the day, he’s a human being,” he added. “We’re all here for the same reason. Many immigrants come to this country to better themselves, to get ahead, and unfortunately, this happens.”
In addition, the organizers questioned the cooperation of state agencies with ICE in North Carolina, including the highway patrol, then the SB 153 approval after the governor's veto was overturned.
What happened to Salgado Araujo?
Salgado Araujo was shot on the morning of July 7 while driving a group of construction workers to a job site in the Magnolia Park neighborhood of Houston.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE agents were conducting a “targeted enforcement operation” against another person when they saw a white van with an occupant who they said resembled the wanted individual.
Federal authorities maintain that Salgado Araujo attempted to evade a checkpoint, ignored orders, and rammed an officer with his vehicle before the officer fired in self-defense. His family and the passengers in the truck reject this version of events.
Salgado Araujo was taken to a Houston hospital, where he died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
According to his son, Ronaldo Salgado, his father had been living in the United States for almost 35 years, having created his own construction business and was in the process of obtaining a work permit through legal channels. Family members say he did not have criminal records .
The case has drawn condemnation from Democratic lawmakers, civil rights organizations, and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum. It has also sparked protests and vigils in Latino communities across the country.
They are calling for vigilance in NC
Chris Duran, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, alerted the immigrant community of North Carolina about SB 153, which expands cooperation between 4 state agencies and ICE.
“Right now it’s getting very dangerous for immigrants here in North Carolina,” Durán said, referring to the new law and the Border Patrol arrests during the operation.Charlotte's Webb".
“It’s not just happening in Houston or here, it’s happening all over the country, and we can’t see it all because there’s too much,” Durán added in an interview with Enlace Latino NC .
In addition, members of the community have reported Recent ICE activity in the city of Charlotte. sightings The most recent incidents occurred on Monday, July 13, at South Boulevard and Westinghouse Boulevard.
During the event, Duke student and activist Karlin said that community unity is, in itself, an act of resistance.
“We are stronger together, and the love and strength we inherited from our ancestors are with us, keeping us standing like the flame of hope we hold together today,” Karlin told the audience.
Karlin also performed, along with her friend Abby, songs co-written by poets and children found within immigrant detention centers.
Related: North Carolina SB 153: Immigration law implementation is uncertain; experts urge preparation
A pattern of deaths under ICE
The case of Salgado Araujo adds to a growing number of deaths linked to ICE operations since the beginning of Trump's second administration.
Human rights organizations and analyses by federal agencies place the number of people who died at more than 30. under ICE custody during 2025The highest figure in more than two decades. They add that 2026 is on track to surpass that record.
These deaths in custody are in addition to deadly shootings carried out by officers during operations in public places, such as those in the citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
One day after the vigil was held in Durham for Salgado Araujo, a new case was added to that list: a 26-year-old Colombian man died after being shot by ICE agents in Biddeford, Maine. according to a Factchecked report.
According to the Maine attorney general's office, the man tried to flee in a vehicle "in the direction of the officer" before the officers opened fire.
Immigrant advocacy groups in that state indicated that the victim was authorized to work in the country and had a social security number.
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