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Witness to fatal Houston ICE shooting released after weeks in detention

Daniel Tirado Pantoja, 43, a construction worker in the U.S. for about 30 years, was detained after witnessing his employer's fatal shooting by ICE. A judge ruled his detention violated due process, and he was freed August 26, 2026.

Aug 26, 2026Houston, TXCountry of origin: Mexico

Witness to fatal Houston ICE shooting released after weeks in detention
Photo via Houston Chronicle

Daniel Tirado Pantoja, 43, a construction worker who had lived in the U.S. for roughly 30 years and was applying for a green card, was detained by ICE on July 7, 2026, after witnessing the fatal shooting of his employer, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, during a Houston traffic stop. Tirado Pantoja, who has a U.S. citizen son and stepdaughters and is in a common-law marriage with a legal permanent resident, disputed ICE's account of the shooting, saying agents were never in front of the van when they opened fire. Held at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, he lost 20 to 30 pounds and suffered depression linked to the trauma of the shooting and detention conditions, according to advocates supporting his family. U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett ruled his detention violated due process and ordered his release, and he was reunited with his wife outside the detention center on August 26, 2026.

Timeline

Aug 26, 2026—Tirado Pantoja was released from the Montgomery Processing Center and reunited with his wife.
Aug 25, 2026—U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett ruled Tirado Pantoja's detention violated due process and ordered his release.
Jul 7, 2026—ICE officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a traffic stop; Daniel Tirado Pantoja, a passenger and Salgado Araujo's employee, witnessed the shooting and was detained by ICE.
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