Man fatally shot by ICE in Houston was not intended target, DHS says

A 52‑year‑old migrant was killed Tuesday in what officials now describe as a case of mistaken identity, following a traffic stop by U.S. immigration agents in Houston. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has denied that Salgado was the target of a scheduled ICE operation.

DHS said the stop was triggered by spotting an empty white van that they believed housed the real target, and that the agents wielding weapons were acting in self‑defence. However the incident involved no body‑camera footage, and no video has been released so far.

The officers involved wore no body cameras, though a DHS spokesperson announced that half of field agents have been equipped with cameras and the rest are expected to receive them within six months. The lack of visual evidence has fueled calls for an independent probe.

Salgado had been building for 30 years in the Houston area after arriving as an undocumented migrant. He had no criminal record and was close to obtaining a work permit, according to his family. He was driving with three colleagues to a job site when the fatal event occurred.

In a statement to BBC‑US and CBS News, DHS said a “vehicle stop was initiated as part of a targeted enforcement operation to arrest an illegal alien.” The agency claims Salgado tried to evade arrest, rammed an ICE vehicle, and that the officer fired because of self‑defence.

The Houston incident has prompted protests on Wednesday. Four Democratic members of Congress – Representatives Sylvia Garcia, Al Green, Lizzie Fletcher and Christian Menefee – have demanded an independent investigation and referenced earlier cases of ICE use of force.

The Mexican Government has stated it will file criminal complaints in the U.S. regarding deaths of Mexican nationals in ICE custody, citing 14 deaths and three during arrest operations. Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco confirmed that President Claudia Sheinbaum directed an investigation against such incidents.