Texas- The Bleeding State
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
By Nisie
Blood rushed down the hot pavement as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo begged ICE officers for his life. In a video shot by bystander Juliet Martinez, you can see a black vehicle angled toward a white van, their doors wide open and on the ground, bleeding and handcuffed, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo groans loudly as his leg shakes. Other federal officers close by stand over at least three other handcuffed men. Bystanders could hear his screams and agonized groans for help, but they were powerless. Araujo died from his injuries. DHS said in a statement that the name of the officer who shot Salgado Araujo will not be released at this time. The department also refused to provide any details about his employment history with DHS while the incident is under an internal investigation. After the killing, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced that it was time to escalate Mexico’s complaints beyond diplomatic channels. Since that announcement, Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco has filed criminal charges in U.S. courts over the alleged killing of three Mexicans during ICE operations and the deaths of another 14 in ICE custody.
Since the start of President Trump’s second term, intensified enforcement of immigration policies has led to a significant increase in ICE raids across the US, shifting toward more aggressive removal practices. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, over 605,000 deportations were carried out in 2025, and 1.9 million individuals opted to self-deport. In 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alone recorded approximately 443,000 removals, a substantial rise from 271,000 the previous year. A horrifying trend for undocumented parents, students, and mixed-status families.
In Texas, at least 50 individuals have died in ICE custody since 2025, according to a report by the Human Rights Watch. Advocacy groups and medical experts blame the rising number of deaths on overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and a surge in the detained population. Immigration and Customs have reported fewer than 12 deaths a year over the last decade, making 2025 and 2026 the deadliest for Texas ICE facilities. Those numbers continue to increase.
Juan Antonio Garcia lived in Austin, TX, where he worked hard and spent time with his family. In a Facebook post made by his son-in-law, he is described as a hardworking man who lived in the US for almost 40 years. During his time in the US, Garcia took good care of his family, worked hard every day, and paid taxes. According to comments on the same Facebook post, he was close to the community, had lots of friends, and made great memories in the country he called home – America. But according to family members, he was dragged away from his beautiful life and thrown into a dirty, overcrowded ICE detention center for 8 months, where there was no healthcare or sufficient food. His family was relieved when he was finally released to Mexico, but less than two weeks later, he would die from untreated cancer and diabetes. His son said further in the post, “How can this be right to spend the last 9 months of your life kept away from your family while your health is slipping away with no help from the system or the detention center. He spent over 40 years in this country, working, paying taxes, raising his family, just to be kept captive and thrown away to die. We need to open our eyes and see the injustice and sadness this country is becoming.”
The family was reached for further comment, but they did not respond; their names are not included in this story to respect their privacy during this difficult time.
Citations:
Human Rights Watch (2026). Dying in Detention
Rising Deaths in an Expanding US Immigration Detention System.
Pillai, A., Pillai, D. & Artiga, S. (2026). Deaths and Health Care Issues in ICE Detention Centers Under the Second Trump Administration. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/deaths-and-health-care-issues-in-ice-detention-centers-under-the-second-trump-administration/
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