Montgomery County Council President Natali Fani-González issued a statement Tuesday following the recent fatal shootings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas and Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Maine during encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, calling for independent investigations and stronger protections for immigrant communities.
“My heart breaks at the news of a second fatal shooting by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in less than a week.
The reckless actions of these agents reflects a blatant disregard for human life and threatens our constitutional and human rights. This pattern of brutality and undue force during immigration enforcement operations is despicable. It just happened in Texas and Maine, and earlier this year in Minnesota.
I join the families of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastian Guerrero in calling for independent, thorough and transparent investigations in both cases. These investigations should be assigned to independent agencies, like the Office of the Maine Attorney General, for example. It is essential that ICE and its officers be held to the same rigorous standards as law enforcement agencies across the nation.
The two men killed in Texas and Maine, as well as Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti who were killed in Minnesota, dedicated their lives in the U.S. to providing for their families and loved ones. My heart is with their families and communities as they navigate these tragic losses.
In Montgomery County, we will continue doing everything in our power to strengthen protections for immigrant residents. This includes legislative advancements, citizenship clinics that offer free legal guidance, and the new ICE Reporting Portal.
“If residents are in need of immigration assistance, help is available through the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center website and other local partners who work in Montgomery County and the region.”
