Two More Names
A Week of Bloodshed, and a Path Forward
In the span of one week, ICE agents shot and killed two men. On July 7, in Houston, an agent fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old father of three who had lived and worked in this country for more than thirty years, driving his construction crew to a job site. On July 13, in Biddeford, Maine, an agent shot and killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian father who was authorized to work in the U.S. and on his way to his job that morning. In both cases, ICE claims the men used their vehicles as weapons against agents; in both cases, witnesses — including Salgado’s own brother, a passenger in his van — have disputed that account.
Catholic leaders have not stayed silent. Archbishop Joe Vásquez of Galveston-Houston called on the faithful to see one another — immigrant neighbors, elected officials, and law enforcement alike — as “men and women created in the image and likeness of God,” warning that “violence and disrespect will only lead to more fear and division,” and again pressing the U.S. bishops’ call for immigration enforcement that is “targeted, proportional, and humane” rather than “enforcement-only.” The Diocese of Portland, Maine is offering pastoral support to Durán Guerrero’s family. The Catholic Legal Immigration Network mourned both men and grieved alongside their families.
Two names, added to a list that keeps growing. Two more wounds on a crucified people. Our faith does not permit us to look away — it calls us to act.
Call to Action:
Join us at MCAN’s Immigration Statewide Assembly. The Paulist Center has been part of MCAN’s Faith Leaders Caucus since it began in early fall 2025, and together we’ve helped win real gains in pressing the governor to stand up for immigrants. Now, with Haitian TPS ending and new threats mounting, MCAN is convening the whole coalition to discern and decide our next steps together. Wednesday, August 20, 5:00–7:30 PM, at Ascentria, 18 Chestnut Street, Worcester. RSVP by August 14 here.
Support Conor May’s Justice Pilgrimage and stand with us in Plymouth. Paulist Center member Connor May is nearing the end of his 70-mile pilgrimage from Provincetown to the Plymouth County Correctional Facility — the only jail in Massachusetts with an active ICE detention agreement, and one with more than 25 years of reported abuse. Two ways to stand with him: make a contribution to BIJAN’s immigrant services, and join us Saturday, July 25, 2:00–3:30 PM at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility, 26 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, for a peaceful vigil and rally demanding the jail’s closure — with the Resistance Street Choir singing and freeze pops benefiting BIJAN. Details and RSVP here.
In response to these killings and the escalating ICE presence targeting our neighbors, join the LUCE network and community organizations for a 24-hour vigil in front of the Massachusetts State House in Boston, July 24/25. Details here.
If you can attend one of these events, please email us here. Also, please indicate if you are interested in carpooling as either a driver or a passenger.
We cannot undo these deaths from the pews. But we can refuse to let them pass in silence — pray, show up, drive a neighbor, raise your voice in Boston, Worcester and Plymouth. Our neighbors are watching to see who stands with them.