The ICE agent indicated to have shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston was identified as Gregory Feathers, three months after the Mexican immigrant died during a migrant persecution that continues under investigation. The Texas Tribune identified Feathers based on information from an official familiar with the case. His participation is also supported by documents and a passenger.
The officer has not been charged with any crime. The Department of National Security (DHS) says the shooting took place in legitimate defense, while the Harris County Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation that could bring the case before a large jury.
We are publishing the name of the alleged shooter because we believe transparency in Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s killing is of vital public interest as investigators, lawmakers and the public seek to understand what happened and how ICE operates more broadly in this state. to read?
Salgado Araujo, 52, died on July 7 in Houston while traveling to work with his brother and two other passengers. The name Feathers appears on a form I-213, a document used by migration agents. The form, usually not public, was mistakenly disclosed last month by the U.S. Prosecutor’s Office.
Other records point to Feathers as one of the agents involved and show that he called the emergency services. One passenger identified him as the man who fired; an official confirmed that identification. According to two people, Feathers had worked for ICE, retired and was recruited over the past two years, amid Trump’s campaign to expand the force of agents.
Her lawyer, Nicole DeBorde Hochglaube, declined to comment and noted that the DHS rules prevent her client from speaking while the investigation continues.
BREAKING: Gregory Feathers has been identified as the ICE agent who fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo on July 7th as he was on his way to work.
Salgado Araujo’s family questioned the lack of information. His brother Víctor, a front passenger, identified Feathers and argued that they did not know they were being pursued because the agents used black SUVs without distinctions. Federal Representative Sylvia García, a Houston Democrat, has called for ICE to make public the names of agents involved in similar incidents.
“Lorenzo Salgado Araujo had a name. His family had to bury him,” Garcia said. “The federal government should not be allowed to hide the identity of the officer who took his life.” The lawyer Ruby L. Powers argued that identifying the agent “is not an accusation of guilt,” but a basic measure of transparency when the government uses lethal force.
The Harris County Prosecutor’s Office investigates the shooting with the support of the Texas Department of Public Security. The FBI, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office and the DHS are conducting separate investigations. Prosecutor Sean Teare noted that protecting the investigation is indispensable for the family and community to trust the outcome. His office works with a large jury, whose procedure is generally secret.
The case opened a debate about the federal policy of keeping in reserve the names of ICE agents involved in shootings. Experts pointed out that local and state police usually identify their agents a few days later. David Donatti, Texas ACLU lawyer, said: “Nominating the agents is not a verdict. This is a prerequisite for an independent investigation.”
The identification of Feathers does not determine criminal liability.The decision on possible charges will depend on the evidence and the process of the grand jury.
