HOUSTON – Immigrant organizations respond to the fatal shooting of family man and hard working community member on Tuesday from East End Houston – Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. The coalition, Houston Leads, issued a statement expressing solidarity and calling for accountability and transparency from city leaders who enabled ICE collaboration with local police that paved the way for a death in Houston, Texas. The coalition representing immigrant groups across the city of Houston shared the following statement:
“We are heartbroken at the loss of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a father and community member in Houston. Violence towards any human being because of the color of their skin or where they are from is a tragedy that takes us further from a safe world we want to see for our children and families. We stand with the Salgado Araujo family to demand justice and transparency from the involved law enforcement agencies. In the shadow of the 250th anniversary of our country’s independence from tyranny, we make the same call today to demand dignity and decry abuse and violence in any form. Families across Houston deserve their right to fair treatment and freedom from abuse by authorities, whether or not they have legal status or speak English. We remain united in our solidarity with Mr Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and his family. We stand steadfast and clear in our demands for transparency from the police department and Houston city council, including Mayor John Whitmire, who have enabled policies that allowed for the violence and impunity that took Mr. Araujo’s life. Without accountability or transparency from authorities, abuse can show up on the doorstep of any family in Houston, whether documented or not. We will continue teaching our community their rights under the constitution and amplifying support for families that have been separated, detained, deported, or worse. Please support the family’s GoFundMe at: https://gofund.me/c8c62c4b7 to help relieve their financial burdens during this time of grief. Together, we will rise to see every family in Houston live life with dignity and freedom from abuse.”
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Organizational Sign ons
Woori Juntos
Mi Familia Vota
Madres del Parque
Crecen
New Economy for Working Houston
Texas Civil Rights Project
Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Tahirih Justice Center
Grassroots Leadership
LaUnidad11
Houston Democratic Socialists of America
Stand Up! Houston
Somos Spring Branch
