Judge blocks deportation of key witness in Houston ICE shooting case

A federal judge in the Southern District of Texas blocked the deportation of Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, one of three men in the van involved in the July 7 fatal ICE shooting of Mexican homebuilder Lorenzo Araujo Salgado in Houston, ordering him to remain in custody while his habeas petition proceeds. The three passengers dispute DHS’s account that Araujo Salgado tried to run over an ICE officer, and the case has spurred visa discussions for witnesses and ongoing petitions, with investigators examining the van and a white substance the defense says was a salt electrolyte rather than meth.