Hundreds of community members gathered in Houston on Thursday evening for a public viewing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the 52-year-old Mexican man shot and killed by an ICE agent on July 7. His sons stood by their father’s casket for hours greeting mourners who wore blue, Salgado Araujo’s favorite color. A mariachi band played, and several altars adorned the chapel: One table held Salgado Araujo’s construction tools and hard hats, while another displayed two of his Mexico soccer jerseys. Photos and videos of some of the family’s most joyful moments were projected in the background.
Democracy Now!’s María Inés Taracena spoke to some of the attendees outside of the funeral home. “Looking back at history, it brought back memories of Emmett Till, when his mom also let the community grieve with them,” said Cesar Espinosa, a local immigrant rights activist. “She wanted to show the world what they had done to her son, and I think today, this family also wanted to show the world what they had done to them.”
