HOUSTON — Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, a witness to the fatal shooting of a Houston man by a U.S. immigration agent, was released from a detention center Wednesday after spending weeks in custody, following a federal judge’s order barring his deportation.
Rojas Pliego was one of three men inside a work van on July 7 when federal immigration agents in unmarked vehicles stopped the vehicle driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Salgado Araujo was fatally shot during the encounter.
Rojas Pliego has disputed the Trump administration’s account of the shooting in court filings, calling the government’s description a “lie.”
The Department of Homeland Security said shortly after the shooting that Salgado Araujo had “weaponised his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer” and that the agent fired in self-defense.
Rojas Pliego and another passenger, however, said in sworn statements filed in court that the immigration agents were positioned alongside the van and were not in front of or behind it.
U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ruled Monday that Rojas Pliego should not be deported. Federal prosecutors sought a stay of his release Wednesday while they appeal, arguing that Ellison’s ruling conflicts with decisions in other immigration cases.
Rojas Pliego, who does not have legal immigration status, has lived in the United States for several decades, according to his stepdaughter, Griselda Silva. She said the family could not afford the legal fees needed to pursue a change in his immigration status.
Rojas Pliego wore an ankle monitor when he visited a roadside memorial for Salgado Araujo on Monday. He said the men were traveling to work when federal agents followed them.
“We were on our way to work when they took Lorenzo Salgado’s life,” Rojas Pliego said in Spanish. He also alleged that agents handcuffed Salgado Araujo and pushed him to the ground instead of immediately providing first aid.
“I want justice for Lorenzo Salgado, my boss,” he said.
Salgado Araujo, 52, had lived in the United States for 35 years and had no criminal record, according to his family. Relatives said he was close to obtaining legal status.
His death has sparked protests in Houston and calls for an independent investigation. It is among at least 10 deaths reported during immigration enforcement operations since President Donald Trump began his mass deportation campaign.
At the memorial, Rojas Pliego played a song on his phone and remembered Salgado Araujo as a longtime employer and friend.
“I worked alongside him through thick and thin. My whole life,” he said. “Rest in peace. I couldn’t be present at your funeral, but you have me here now.”
