Full Breakdown
Federal Judge Bars Deportation of ICE Shooting Witnesses While Legal Challenges Proceed
7/22/2026, 12:35:24 PM
Core Event
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison issued a stay on July 20 that bars the Department of Homeland Security from deporting José Trinidad Rojas Pliego and from transferring him to any ICE facility outside the Southern District of Texas while his habeas corpus petition remains pending. The order also requires the government to explain, in writing, any proposed transfer and to respond by July 24. Rojas Pliego has been detained at the Montgomery ICE Processing Center in Conroe since the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo on July 7.
Background of the July 7 Shooting
On July 7, ICE agents confronted a work van in Houston’s Magnolia Park neighborhood. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the driver, was shot and killed. ICE alleges the van was used to ram an agent; the agency says no body-camera footage exists. Witnesses inside the van—including Rojas Pliego, Daniel Tirado Pantoja, and Victor Hugo Salgado Araujo (the victim’s brother)—contend that agents surrounded the vehicle, forced passengers out, and shot Araujo without provocation. Their statements dispute ICE’s claim that the van was a weapon.
Legal Actions and U-Visa Certifications
- U-Visa certifications (July 13): Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare certified Rojas Pliego and Tirado Pantoja as victims of “felonious assault,” “manslaughter,” and “murder,” qualifying them for U-visa relief.
- Habeas petitions (July 20): Attorneys for Rojas Pliego and Tirado Pantoja filed separate federal habeas corpus petitions arguing that their detention without individualized bond hearings violates Fifth-Amendment due-process rights. Both petitions note the men have no criminal records, are not flight risks, and have family ties to U.S. citizens.
- Additional petition: Victor Hugo Salgado Araujo’s attorney, Ruby Powers, requested that the entire case be sealed, citing threats of retaliation against the key eyewitness.
Official Statements & Responses
- Mayor John Whitmire emphasized that the city lacks authority over federal immigration enforcement, noting, “We don’t control the witnesses, we don’t control detention.”
- DHS has not commented on the stay and continues to assert that Araujo attempted to run over an ICE agent, a claim the witnesses dispute.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- ICE vs. witness accounts: ICE maintains that Araujo used the van to ram an agent, while Rojas Pliego says agents surrounded the van from the sides and shot Araujo after he stopped. Tirado Pantoja adds that an ICE vehicle struck the van multiple times and alleges that agents swapped firearms during the incident.
- Evidence: No video evidence has been released, and ICE agents were not equipped with body cameras, leaving the factual sequence of the shooting unclear.
What’s Next
The government must file a written response to Rojas Pliego’s petition by July 24. A hearing on the habeas petitions is scheduled for August, during which the court will consider whether the witnesses should remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.
