Memo: The Murders of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero

The latest killings at the hands of ICE agents are an egregious reminder that Trump and Republicans are out of step with what most Americans want when it comes to immigration enforcement: a focus on violent criminals and genuine security threats. Beyond calling for accountability and transparency, Democrats should respond to this moment in four ways: 1) elevating the victims' stories, 2) calling out Trump and Republicans' broken promises on immigration enforcement, 3) pressing DHS to fulfill its 6-month-old commitment to equip agents with body cameras, and 4) spotlighting Republicans’ out-of-touch priorities amid affordability concerns.

IMMIGRATION OVERREACH 

Many Latinos emerged from the crises of the Biden years feeling overlooked and resentful, and some took a chance on Trump believing that he would focus on bringing down prices, getting control of the border, and restoring a sense of safety and order to the immigration system. 

Instead, what they have gotten is an extreme and unchecked approach to immigration enforcement, resulting in deaths, the separation of families, children in detention, and enforcement far beyond the narrow focus on violent criminals that most Americans actually wanted. Congressional Republicans have fueled this agenda by providing DHS with unprecedented resources, $170 billion in new taxpayer money for enforcement in 2025, and another $70 billion funding boost in 2026.

That approach has had real consequences with Latinos. As early as the summer of last year, Latinos expressed their strong disapproval of the Trump administration’s approach on immigration. Significant disappointment and regret had already taken root among Trump’s Latino voters, and his overreach on immigration was one of the top reasons cited. In May 2025, 66% of Latinos felt Trump had gone too far on enforcement. Those negative attitudes carried into 2026, following the murders of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, at which point a majority of non-Latinos (53%) also expressed that Trump had gone too far.

Now, six months after Minneapolis, there are two more egregious cases. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was a father who lived in the U.S. for 35 years, building homes, starting a construction company, and creating jobs in his community. Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a husband and father of a three-year-old, held a legal work permit and contributed to his community. Both were on their way to work when they were killed by ICE. In response, DHS announced it would pause most traffic-stop enforcement – only for Trump to personally overturn that pause within 24 hours. This demonstrates yet again that the administration’s focus is on meeting arbitrary arrest quotas, not on ensuring enforcement is safe and targeted towards criminals and public safety threats. 

WHAT MOST AMERICANS WANT 

The majority of Americans, including Latinos, believe that there should be both legal pathways for long-term community members and future immigrants, as well as commonsense immigration enforcement focused on genuine threats to public safety and national security. They do not want to see their neighbors murdered on the street in broad daylight, nor valued, contributing members of their community targeted. 

On immigration, most Americans, including Latinos, are yearning to go back to basics. America has always been a land of opportunity, a place where people who work hard have a chance to build a better life. Most Americans believe the government's responsibility is to keep communities safe, so that hardworking Americans can focus on getting ahead. That means focusing enforcement where it belongs: securing the border and removing violent criminals, while protecting the promise and opportunities that have always defined this country. 

The deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero are a painful reminder that immigration enforcement has moved well beyond what the American public wants or expects. 

MEETING THE MOMENT

Let’s be clear. There should not be an immigration enforcement system in the U.S. that allows officers to gun down community members - and certainly not one that lacks meaningful accountability and transparency. A full, independent investigation into each of these murders is essential. But accountability and transparency on their own are not enough. To meet the moment, Democratic leaders should prioritize these four tangible steps:

1. Democrats should uplift Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero’s stories – not just their wrongful deaths, but also the stories of their families and contributions to their communities throughout their lives. Equis data shows that among Latinos who believe Trump has gone too far on immigration, most say it’s because of the impact his policies have had on families, children, U.S. citizens, and legal immigrants. Americans’ disapproval of Trump’s approach is most evident when they hear stories of the human impact of the administration’s policies.
2. Democrats should call out Trump and Republicans' broken promises on immigration enforcement. Most Latinos who voted for Trump supported targeted enforcement focused on violent criminals and threats to safety. Instead, Trump and Congressional Republicans have pushed DHS to pursue indiscriminate enforcement to fulfill arbitrary arrest quotas, resulting in deaths, excessive violence, and the separation of families. 
3. Democrats should hold DHS to their commitment on the use of body cameras which dates back to early February. In April, Congress gave DHS $20 million for the expanded use of body cameras, yet the officers in both of these recent shootings had none. According to the Acting Head of ICE, David Venturella, less than a third of officers nationally had been issued body cameras as of July 10th. Body cameras need to be deployed immediately, officers must be trained on how to use them, and the public needs access to footage.
4. More broadly, Democrats should continue to highlight the misplaced priorities of Trump and Congressional Republicans. Instead of working to bring down the cost of living for millions of hardworking families, Trump and Republicans are focused on out-of-control immigration enforcement that has resulted in the deaths of legal immigrants and US citizens.