Houston organizers have planned a rally for Friday evening as part of a push for justice, answers, and accountability after ICE killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in the city earlier this month.
The ‘Shut it Down for Lorenzo’ rally will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at Hidalgo Park, as part of a citywide “No Business As Usual” strike urging workers, students, and businesses to shut down. Organizers are calling for the release of the names of the ICE agents involved in the shooting and for the agency to free the three passengers detained from Araujo’s car. They’re also demanding the Houston Police Department to end cooperation with ICE. Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national, was shot and killed by an ICE agent on the city’s East side on July 7. He had been on his way to work at a construction site when he was killed.
ICE claimed Araujo had used his vehicle as a weapon, but that claim was disputed by the men in Araujo’s car at the time of the shooting as well as his family.
Community members have held daily demonstrations and benefit events d in the weeks since Araujo was killed.
Griffin Walker, with the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Stand Up! Houston, spoke at a press conference Tuesday echoing Araujo’s family’s call for an independent investigation, adding any form of justice must include releasing the agents’ names and prosecuting those responsible.
“ICE has lied about Lorenzo weaponizing a vehicle. They detained the witnesses, stripped Lorenzo of his ID and slandered his name,” Walker said. “It’s been 14 days since Lorenzo’s murder, and we still don’t know the names of the agents who killed him. That is unconscionable.”
Protesters have also delivered testimony before city council members and Mayor John Whitmire, urging city leaders to address Araujo’s killing, increase transparency around the investigation, and strengthen oversight of federal operations in Houston.
Sameeha Rizvi, a civic engagement organizer for the Council on American‑Islamic Relations in Texas, said city resources should not be used to support unlawful actions by federal immigration authorities.
“The strength of the city has always been its people,” Rizvi said to the council. “It should be remembered as a place where everyone can live safely and seek justice without fear.”
Rizvi said ICE operations have expanded across the city and state, leaving more families afraid to report crimes, seek emergency help, or engage with public institutions.
“Lorenzo’s death has deepened that fear,” she said. “Protecting civil rights requires accountability and a commitment to ensuring every person’s life is protected, regardless of where they were born, their race or what they believe.”
Tabitha Clay, a Houston resident, also addressed council members on Tuesday, urging action.
“No child or teenager should be afraid to go to school, visit family or attend college because they fear being arrested by ICE,” Clay said. “Please urge an investigation and create an ordinance that unmasks ICE agents in Houston so people don’t have to live in fear. This is a turning point, and it needs to end now.”
The American Civil Liberties Union plans to hold a protest Saturday at 10 a.m. at Freedom Park in downtown Houston.
