Berk Kutay Gökmen
16 July 2026•Update: 16 July 2026
Nearly every member of the House Democratic Caucus signed a letter Wednesday calling for an independent investigation into two fatal shootings within a week carried out by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, according to a report by The Hill.
Referring to the deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Joan Guerrero in Maine, lawmakers wrote: “We are calling for immediate independent investigations into both of these deaths, without interference.”
They said the shootings have “created enormous fear and outrage in the community and raise serious questions about the safety of community members, regardless of immigration status,” noting that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers have been involved in 22 shootings under the administration of US President Donald Trump, six of them fatal.
The letter, spearheaded by Rep. Pramila Jayapal and signed by 198 Democrats, including party leaders and lawmakers from the affected districts, highlights discrepancies between ICE's accounts and witness testimony and video evidence.
Three passengers in Araujo’s van rejected ICE’s claim that he used his vehicle as a weapon during a traffic stop when ICE officers tried to arrest Araujo, whom they described as an “illegal alien.”
Lawmakers wrote that “all three of these men have independently disputed ICE’s account and stated that Mr. Salgado Araujo did not try to ram any agents with the van. Now, reports are emerging that these men—eyewitnesses to the shooting who can provide essential evidence to investigators—have been placed in removal proceedings. This is completely unacceptable.”
Regarding Guerrero’s death, the letter states that “DHS claims that Mr. Guerrero merely attempted to flee in a vehicle, and that an ICE officer shot him out of concern for ‘public safety.’” DHS does not allege the officer feared for his safety.
Video footage shows officers handcuffing Guerrero and throwing him on the street, even after shooting him in the head.
The lawmakers also accused DHS of a pattern of making “unsubstantiated allegations” in shooting cases, citing the deaths in January of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where video evidence contradicted the agency’s accounts.
