Published July 8, 2026 at 4:05 PM CDT

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During an operation in Houston, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot Tuesday in what Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) described as a targeted enforcement operation.

Speaking at her Wednesday morning news conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum said the shooting reflects a broader pattern of mistreatment of Mexican migrants. She said the Mexican government plans to pursue legal action beyond the diplomatic complaints it has already filed with international human rights bodies. "Our objective is to go beyond diplomatic notes," Sheinbaum said.

The Mexican Foreign Ministry is preparing legal action in the United States following the shooting.

For Mexico, the case adds another point of friction with the Trump administration’s immigration policy. Immigrant advocates in Texas say the shooting has deepened fears about federal enforcement operations that have increasingly moved into streets, workplaces and neighborhoods.

Mexico has repeatedly objected to what it describes as abuses against its citizens, while also seeking to preserve cooperation with Washington on trade, security and migration.

According to his family, Salgado Araujo had been in the area looking for workers to hire when ICE agents shot him. Civil rights groups in Houston have called for a full and independent investigation, saying the public needs a transparent account of what led federal agents to use deadly force.

The Department of Homeland Security is reviewing the shooting, while the FBI is investigating the alleged assault on a federal officer.

As of Wednesday morning, Houston Mayor John Whitmire declined to seek a city-led investigation, saying there cannot be a city investigation while a federal investigation is ongoing, despite demands from groups including the League of United Latin American Citizens.

Sheinbaum said the Mexican government’s previous diplomatic complaints had not prevented new deaths. “They do respond, but nevertheless there is another regrettable death of a Mexican national in the United States,” she said. “Their only offense is not having papers,” she added, questioning why migrants detained for immigration violations should be placed in detention centers or face violence.