Witness to fatal Houston ICE shooting released after weeks in detention
Aug 26, 2026·Location: Houston, TX
Country of origin: Mexico

Daniel Tirado Pantoja, 43, a construction worker who had lived in the U.S. for roughly 30 years and was applying for a green card, was detained by ICE on July 7, 2026, after witnessing the fatal shooting of his employer, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, during a Houston traffic stop. Tirado Pantoja, who has a U.S. citizen son and stepdaughters and is in a common-law marriage with a legal permanent resident, disputed ICE's account of the shooting, saying agents were never in front of the van when they opened fire. Held at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, he lost 20 to 30 pounds and suffered depression linked to the trauma of the shooting and detention conditions, according to advocates supporting his family. U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett ruled his detention violated due process and ordered his release, and he was reunited with his wife outside the detention center on August 26, 2026.
Timeline
Sources
- ICE releases witness in fatal Lorenzo Salgado Araujo shooting after federal judge’s order
click2houston.com·Jul 29, 2026·archived copy
- Houston ICE shooting witness can't be deported, judge says
Texas Tribune·Jul 21, 2026·archived copy
- Detained men who witnessed fatal ICE shooting seek special visas to prevent deportation, attorneys say | Houston Public Media
houstonpublicmedia.org·Jul 15, 2026
- The three witnesses to Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s death seek a visa to protect them from deportation
english.elpais.com·Jul 16, 2026
- Here's what we know about the 3 witnesses detained after ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
Yahoo News·Jul 12, 2026
- Federal judge orders release of Houston ICE shooting witness
Texas Tribune·Aug 25, 2026
- The three witnesses to Lorenzo Salgado’s death are free as the case moves toward a grand jury
english.elpais.com·Sep 1, 2026
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