Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 19
Homan Questions ICE Use of Lights in July 7 Texas Shooting That Killed 1
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 19

Homan Questions ICE Use of Lights in July 7 Texas Shooting That Killed 1

2 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 19

Summary

  • July 7 footage from the Houston-area ICE shooting has become a key issue after border czar Tom Homan said the fatal encounter would raise concerns if agents failed to activate emergency lights and sirens.
  • Homan acknowledged he had not seen the video himself, even as he said ICE vehicles are equipped with lights and sirens and suggested the lack of activation could be problematic.
  • DHS says an officer shot Salgado Araujo in self-defense during a targeted operation after he ignored verbal commands and used his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE officer; Salgado Araujo was reportedly not the target.
  • The case was the first of 2 fatal ICE-involved shootings in less than a week, followed by the July 13 killing of 25-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Maine, who also was not the target of the operation.
  • Neither the Texas nor Maine officers wore body cameras, and Homan said broader camera use would help the public see what officers see when making split-second decisions.

Insights

With two bystanders killed in a week, can new body camera rules prevent future ICE tragedies?
When enforcement operations kill the wrong person, what accountability exists within federal agencies?