Lehigh students, faculty gather to honor life lost by ICE

Over 65 students and faculty gathered at the UC flagpole last night on Mexican Independence Day to honor Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Houston on July 7. 

The vigil was organized by Fuerza Mexicana, a campus organization that celebrates Mexican culture, heritage and identity, as well as Students Demand Action, the Lehigh chapter of a national gun violence advocacy organization. 

Attendees were given candles and invited to write messages to the family on a large banner reading “Somos Lorenzo,” meaning “we are Lorenzo” in Spanish. 

Vanessa Munoz-Hernandez, ‘27, president of Fuerza Mexicana, opened the vigil by speaking about her identity as a first-generation student and the daughter of two Mexican immigrants. 

“Being Mexican is not only about celebrating the foods, the music, the holidays, or the traditions that make our culture beautiful,” Hernandez said. “It also means acknowledging the realities and the injustices that affect our community.” 

Hernandez said that while Fuerza Mexicana was created to celebrate Mexican identity, supporting one another during difficult moments is also part of building community. 

“When Fuerza Mexicana was created, we wanted to build a community that could celebrate being Mexican openly and proudly,” Hernandez said. “But community also means showing up when things are painful.” 

Remembering Lorenzo 

Hernandez then read a letter written by Salgado Araujo’s son.The letter described the shock of losing his father without having the opportunity to say goodbye. 

“My dad, mí papá,” the letter read. “We never expected that death would come knocking on our door, so unfairly, so suddenly. We didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.”

The letter also described Salgado Araujo’s support for his son’s education and his determination to help his children build a future. Salgado Araujo’s son wrote that his father had continued to support him, even when he struggled with his education and future. 

“Now, he won’t even get to see the fruit of his hard labor, — his last son’s college graduation,” the letter read. 

The letter ended by reflecting on Salgado Araujo’s work as a carpenter and the legacy he left with his children. 

“We are his tools to change the world,” Hernandez read. 

After the letter was read, Hernandez led attendees in a moment of silence. 

She said the vigil was ultimately meant to center Salgado Araujo as a person and a member of a family. 

“Tonight is ultimately about Lorenzo,” she said. “It is about giving his loved ones and those who knew him a space to breathe, remember and be surrounded by community.”

For students at the vigil, Salgado Araujo’s death also raised fears about what could happen to their own families. 

Genesis Medina, ‘29, attended to support the Salgado Araujo family and recognize the impact of his death on other immigrant families. 

“He was a father, a son, a brother, a family member, a loved one,” she said. 

Medina said the gathering demonstrated that members of the Lehigh community were willing to stand together during a difficult moment. 

“This can happen to anyone,” Medina said. “At least seeing everyone that showed up here in the Lehigh community shows that we’re still standing.” 

Kathleen Rodriguez, ‘28, said she wanted other members of the Lehigh community to recognize the significance of Salgado Araujo’s death even if they did not personally know him or his family. 

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent July 7 in Houston’s East End. Salgado Araujo was driving a work van carrying three other men when ICE agents began pursuing the vehicle during what federal officials described as a “targeted enforcement operation.” 

Salgado was not the original target of the operation, according to federal officials. 

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Salgado attempted to evade the agents and used his van against them, prompting an agent to fire. The three men who were traveling with Salgado Araujo have disputed that account, and said the agents weren’t in the path of the van when the shooting occurred, according to an article from the Los Angeles Times. 

Surveillance footage released after the shooting has also raised questions about the federal account, though it does not capture the shooting itself.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the shooting, and a grand jury began hearing evidence in August. One of the men who was in the van with Salgado, Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, appeared before the grand jury Sept. 16, the same day as the vigil.

Matthew Teitelbaum, ‘27, also attended the vigil after hearing about Salgado Araujo’s death. 

“I think the important thing is knowing that things like this are even going on,” Teitelbaum said. “Something like this shouldn’t be brushed under the table. This kind of injustice should be widely publicized, just as any death really would.” 

Teitelbaum said it was refreshing to see the support across Lehigh. 

Faculty members also attended the vigil, including Anthony DiMaggio, a political science professor who teaches a course on social movements. 

DiMaggio said he encouraged his students to attend and wanted to show support for Salgado Araujo’s family despite not knowing them personally. 

“Sometimes that kind of empathy, even if you don’t know the person directly, can be important,” DiMaggio said. 

The vigil concluded with attendees continuing to write messages to Salgado Araujo’s family on the ‘Somos Lorenzo’ banner. Hernandez said the banner would be sent to the family. 

For Hernandez, the vigil represented what Fuerza Mexicana hopes to provide for its members: a community that is present through both celebration and grief. 

“Community also means showing up when things are painful,” Hernandez said.