U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison ordered the release of Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, a witness to the July 7 Houston traffic-stop shooting that killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, finding his detention without an individualized bond determination unconstitutional. The judge temporarily blocked Rojas Pliego's deportation last week and directed federal authorities to free him within 48 hours. ICE contends an officer fired in self-defense after the driver allegedly "weaponized his vehicle." Court filings say Rojas Pliego has lived in the U.S. since 1996, has U.S. citizen children, and has no criminal record.
Federal Judge Orders Release Of Houston ICE Shooting Witness, Calling Detention Unconstitutional
Ronaldo Salgado via Reuters - PHOTO: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican motorist who was fatally shot by an ICE agent during a vehicle stop in Houston, stands behind a birthday cake in an unknown location in this this picture obtained from social media, released July 8, 2026.
A federal judge has ordered the release of Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, a witness to the July 7 traffic-stop shooting that killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison signed the order after finding that Rojas Pliego had been detained without an individualized bond determination.
Rojas Pliego, who was being held at the Montgomery ICE Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, was a passenger in the vehicle when federal immigration officers pulled it over and fired shots that killed the driver, Salgado Araujo. The judge temporarily blocked the government from deporting Rojas Pliego last week before issuing the release order.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images - PHOTO: A person places flowers at the site where Mexican immigrant Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed, on July 9, 2026, in Houston, Texas.
'Given the severity of this ongoing unconstitutional deprivation of Petitioner's liberty, the Court concludes that immediate release from custody is required,' Judge Ellison wrote in his order.
Judge Ellison gave federal authorities 48 hours to free Rojas Pliego. Court filings submitted on behalf of Rojas Pliego state that he has lived in the United States since 1996, has a son and a stepdaughter who are U.S. citizens, and does not have a criminal record.
ICE issued a statement saying the agent fired after the driver "weaponized his vehicle" and attempted to run down an officer, prompting what the agency described as a self-defense response. ICE added that emergency services were contacted and the driver later died at a hospital.
The case has drawn public attention amid broader scrutiny of immigration enforcement and use-of-force incidents. The judge's order focuses narrowly on the legal defects the court found in Rojas Pliego's detention rather than resolving the underlying facts of the shooting.
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