Catholic leaders and immigrant advocates called for prayer, accountability and compassion after two fatal shootings involving US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in less than a week, incidents that have prompted protests in Maine and Texas.
In Maine, 25-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was shot and killed by an ICE officer July 13 while driving to work in Biddeford. According to ICE, Durán attempted to flee in his vehicle, prompting an officer to open fire out of concern for public safety. The Diocese of Portland said its Office of Hispanic Ministry is providing pastoral support to Durán’s family and community, praying that those affected “may experience God’s loving comfort, strength and peace.”
In Houston, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot by an ICE agent July 7 while traveling to a construction site and later died at a hospital. ICE said Salgado used his vehicle to ram a law enforcement vehicle and attempted to strike an officer after ignoring repeated commands. Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez of Houston-Galveston urged Catholics to pray for Salgado, his family and all those affected by fear and anxiety. Federal investigations are underway in both cases. Anne Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, mourned the deaths and said immigration enforcement is increasingly creating what she called a fearful and volatile climate that endangers lives and communities.