HOUSTON, TX — Congressman Al Green called for a congressional hearing into the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, saying Congress should not approve additional funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) until agents are equipped with operational body cameras and warning against what he described as the potential for a cover-up.
Speaking during a Wednesday news conference, Green said the public deserves access to all available evidence surrounding the shooting, particularly body camera footage.
“We must have a hearing so that the public can see and hear as much evidence as is available, especially body camera footage,” Green said. “There ought to be some body camera footage.”
Green said if no body camera footage exists, it underscores why members of Congress have refused to support additional ICE funding until agents are required to wear body cameras that remain operational during enforcement activities.
“If there is not, then you will understand why we, the members of Congress, refused to sign off on any additional funding to ICE until they agreed that they would have body cameras on and operable at all times,” Green said. “Body camera is absolutely necessary.”
Green also announced that he has sent a letter to Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino and Ranking Member Bennie Thompson requesting the committee immediately hold a congressional hearing examining the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
In the letter, Green wrote that although the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has publicly stated Salgado Araujo attempted to use his vehicle to strike an ICE officer, at least one person with knowledge of the incident has publicly disputed that account. He said a congressional hearing and formal investigation are necessary to ensure oversight, transparency and accountability.
“The public and family members of Mr. Salgado Araujo have a right to know what happened by way of an independent investigation,” Green wrote. “Absent such an investigation, a grave injustice may be covered up.”
During his remarks, Green also cautioned against relying solely on ICE’s account of the shooting.
“We cannot allow a cover up to take place,” Green said. “We don’t know what happened, but we do know that we cannot depend on ICE to give us credible information.”
Green said Congress has a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability before conclusions are drawn about the incident.
“As a result of their lack of credibility, there has to be an assumption that we must protect against a cover up in ICE,” he said.
Green concluded by calling for ICE to suspend operations in the community until more information about the shooting is released.
“ICE has got to go. I am here to say that ICE needs to leave this community until we get some information about what happened. ICE is out. We are in. We the people demand justice,” Green said.
