Lorenzo Salgado Araujo shot and killed by ICE agent in Houston, authorities confirm: Live updates

A federal judge on Monday ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release from their custody one of the witnesses to a federal immigration agent's fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego must be released from detention within 48 hours of the order, which was issued Monday evening. Authorities must release Rojas Pliego in a public space and give his attorneys notice at least three hours beforehand, according to the order.

Rojas Pliego, a Mexican citizen, was one of three men who were passengers in Salgado Araujo's van when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers began following the group and ultimately shot the longtime Houston resident. Rojas Pliego has lived in the United States since 1998, has several children and stepchildren who are U.S. citizens, and has no criminal record, according to the order.

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It's been nearly three weeks since a man was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Canal Street.

The Department of Homeland Security, from the beginning, has said the ICE agent shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo because he was trying to run over an agent.

Something his family and the other four men in his van that morning have disputed.

On Saturday, community members gathered to hold a procession and vigil for him in Magnolia Park as they seek the truth about what happened.

Community members told ABC13 it was about honoring Salgado Araujo as well as all the immigrants who have helped build communities throughout Houston.

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The substance found in Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's van was "not a narcotic or any other illicit substance," according to Rep. Sylvia Garcia and attorney Ruby Powers.

"As his family has said all along, this was an electrolyte powder to stay hydrated while working outside in the hot Texas summer. The attempt to cast a shadow over Lorenzo Salgado's name has failed," Garcia said on social media.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office later confirmed Garcia's claim that the substance was not drugs, adding that testing found the substance tested negative for narcotics. The DA's office did not comment further as the investigation is ongoing.

Ruby Powers, attorney for the Salgado family, said in a statement that the family confirmed the latest testing, and they were told that DPS has the results.

Powers' statement read in part:

The preliminary report is already clear: the substance was not a controlled substance. An unproven claim was allowed to circulate before it was tested, and the way it was made public did real damage, diverting attention from what actually matters in this case. Lorenzo was shot, and no lab report answers for that.

Powers called for Victor, Lorenzo's brother, to be released from ICE custody and emphasized the family's demand for an independent investigation and accountability.

The FBI, which is conducting the federal probe into the deadly shooting, has not yet released any details about what exactly it found the substance in Araujo's van to be.

Read the full report: Congressional Hispanic Caucus holds hearing in Houston on deadly ICE shooting

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to halt the deportation of a witness in the deadly shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by ICE agents in Houston's East End, according to court documents.

On Tuesday, the judge issued the ruling for Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, a passenger in Salgado Araujo's van at the time of the shooting on July 7, after his attorney filed a petition asking for his release, court documents revealed.

According to court documents, the order said Rojas Pliego cannot be deported or transferred to an ICE facility outside the Southern District of Texas, while the petition is pending, without the court's permission.

Rojas Pliego's attorney sent a statement that read in part:

"We are pleased with the Stay grant. The judge has made the right decision following the law, our clients are cooperating with the authorities and we trust that they will be released soon and reunited with their families after this traumatic ordeal."

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