July 13, 2026
Media Contact: info@haitianbridge.org; media@haitianbridge.org

SAN DIEGO, CA–-Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) demands a full, independent investigation into the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent in Houston and calls for complete transparency and accountability from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Reports indicate that Mr. Salgado Araujo was not the intended target of the operation, raising serious concerns about ICE’s tactics, use of force, and disregard for human life, especially Black and brown immigrants. 

This tragedy is not an isolated incident; at least 50 people have died in  ICE custody or during ICE enforcement operations. These deaths point to a deeply troubling pattern of violence, neglect, and a lack of accountability that demands immediate action

Haitian Bridge Alliance calls on the Department of Justice to immediately launch an independent investigation, publicly release all available evidence, and hold accountable anyone found to have violated the law or agency policy. No federal law enforcement agency should be permitted to investigate itself without meaningful independent oversight.

“The killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is not simply another tragedy—it is part of a deeply troubling pattern of violence and impunity that has become synonymous with ICE enforcement,” said Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. “Far too many people have died during interactions with ICE. Communities are living in fear, families are being devastated, and accountability remains elusive. We cannot continue to accept a system that repeatedly produces these outcomes. It is past time to abolish ICE and replace it with an immigration system rooted in due process, transparency, human dignity, and respect for life.”

Haitian Bridge Alliance stands in solidarity with the Salgado family and every family that has lost a loved one during immigration enforcement operations.

ABOUT HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE

Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), also known as “The Bridge”, is a grassroots community organization that advocates for fair and humane immigration policies, foreign policy, and provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black migrants, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses. HBA also seeks to elevate the issues unique to Black migrants and build solidarity and a collective movement toward policy change. Anpil men chay pa lou (“Many hands make the load light”).
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