Federal Judge Orders Release of Key Witness in Fatal ICE Shooting of Mexican Homebuilder in Houston

A federal judge orders the release of Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, a key witness in the fatal July 7, 2026, ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. The ruling highlights growing scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign, which has seen at least 10 killings. Meanwhile, in California, Francisco Longoria files a lawsuit after being shot at by ICE, wrongfully detained for three months, and falsely accused of weaponizing his vehicle.

ICE vehicle stop shooting

• ▪Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego was a passenger in a van driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo when an ICE officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 7, 2026.
• ▪The Harris County District Attorney's Office confirmed that a white powder found in Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's van was an electrolyte salt mixture, not illegal drugs.
• ▪U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered immigration authorities to release Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, a key witness in the fatal Houston ICE shooting, on July 27, 2026.
• ▪Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego and another passenger disputed the federal account, stating that ICE agents rammed their van and were never in front or behind the vehicle.

Federal assault charge

• ▪ICE and CBP agents arrested Francisco Longoria on August 16, charging him with felony assault after he fled an unmarked vehicle stop in San Bernardino, California.
• ▪The U.S. Department of Homeland Security frequently accuses victims of immigration enforcement shootings of weaponizing vehicles against officers to justify using force.
• ▪The federal government dropped felony assault charges against Francisco Longoria on September 17, after holding him for three months in the Adelanto ICE detention facility.

Excessive force violations

• ▪ICE officers in Houston targeted two Guatemalan men but instead stopped and shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was not the intended target, on July 7, 2026.
• ▪ICE and CBP agents stopped Francisco Longoria's truck on August 16, smashed his windows, struck him, and fired three rounds at his fleeing vehicle.
• ▪Francisco Longoria's lawsuit alleges federal officers violated CBP policy by shooting at a fleeing vehicle without a reasonable belief of facing deadly force.

Community standoff

• ▪During a standoff at Francisco Longoria's home, police deployed pepper spray and arrested several community members who attempted to prevent his arrest.
• ▪San Bernardino neighbors gathered outside Francisco Longoria's home to prevent ICE and Homeland Security Investigations agents from arresting him without a warrant.

Trump immigration enforcement

• ▪Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's fatal shooting is one of at least 10 killings during immigration enforcement operations since the start of the mass deportation campaign.
• ▪Under the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign, federal immigration agents arrested more than 4,000 people in Southern California from June to August.
• ▪Since President Donald Trump took office, ICE agents have opened fire on at least 30 people, according to tracking by the media outlet Trace.

Civil lawsuit damages

• ▪The Longoria family's lawsuit alleges that federal officers made false statements to cover up the shooting and manufacture charges against Francisco Longoria.
• ▪Francisco Longoria and his family filed a federal lawsuit seeking damages for physical and psychological injuries, wrongful incarceration, and lost wages.