SerpApi.Org
A witness to the shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo will not be deported while his immigration case is pending. A federal judge has temporarily barred the government from deporting Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, who was one of the passengers in Salgado Araujo’s vehicle during his fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on July 7, 2026.
Rojas Pliego, an undocumented immigrant, has been in ICE custody since then. According to his attorney, he has lived in the U.S. since 1998 and is married to a U.S. citizen. His attorney has filed a habeas petition, requesting the court to order his release.
Judge Bars the Deportation of Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego
On July 20, 2026, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison temporarily barred the Trump administration from deporting Rojas Pliego. The judge also ordered that the man cannot be moved out of the Southern District of Texas while his petition is pending. Additionally, the judge asked the government to respond to the petition by July 24, 2026.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said it will comply with the court order. Rojas Pliego maintains that he has been wrongly detained at the Montgomery ICE Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, since July 7, 2026. In his habeas petition, his attorney, Raed Gonzalez, highlighted that Rojas Pliego has remained in the U.S. since 1998 and has no criminal record.
His wife, three children, and four stepchildren are all U.S. citizens. Rojas Pliego is also attempting to apply for a U visa. This special visa allows witnesses of criminal activity to remain in the country while they assist law enforcement in the investigation. Rojas Pliego was one of three passengers in Salgado Araujo’s van when he was shot in Houston, Texas.
The two other passengers have also been in ICE custody since the incident. One of them, Daniel Tirado Pantoja, filed a habeas petition on July 20, 2026. Pantoja also reportedly does not have any criminal record and has been in the U.S. since 1996. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is assisting all three men with U visa applications, though it is uncertain whether DHS will grant them.
The Shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
Salgado Araujo was a 52-year-old Mexican man who had lived in the U.S. for 35 years. He worked in construction in Houston. On the morning of July 7, 2026, he was driving to pick up his construction crew for a job when ICE agents in unmarked vehicles began following him.
Salgado Araujo was then asked to stop and was shot and killed by an ICE agent. The DHS said the officer opened fire because Salgado Araujo ignored commands and weaponized his vehicle to run him over. However, Rojas Pliego and the other passengers have contradicted this claim.
The shooting has led to protests across the country. Authorities are currently investigating the shooting. Salgado Araujo was a father of three and had no criminal history. According to his family, he was expected to obtain legal status soon.
