Texas confronts a wave of ICE shootings and migrant deaths as enforcement expands

Texas is grappling with a surge in migrant deaths in ICE custody and fatal shootings involving or by ICE since 2025, as enforcement under Trump expands. The Houston shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo—an undocumented Mexican national—adds to a tally that includes the 2025 South Padre Island killing of Ruben Ray Martinez, with Texas reporting at least 14 detainee deaths in custody since January 2025. Texas hosts the largest immigrant population across 23 detention facilities, and ICE activity and daily arrests in the state have surged compared with the Biden era. The article also outlines broader concerns about competing accounts of shootings, independence investigations, and immigrant rights, while offering practical guidance for navigating encounters with authorities and staying prepared.