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Judge Keith Ellison Orders Release of Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego Following Fatal ICE Shooting

U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered the release of Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego from ICE custody within 48 hours following a fatal shooting in Houston. Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was allegedly killed by ICE officers during a traffic stop on July 7. While the administration announced that the officer fired in self-defense after the driver weaponized his vehicle, Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego and other witnesses countered that agents rammed the van before shooting. Judge Ellison ruled that detaining Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego without an individualized bond determination violates his Fifth Amendment due process rights, noting that the noncitizen has lived in the United States for nearly 30 years with no criminal record. The order requires ICE to release him in a public space and return all personal property. If the government seeks to re-detain him, it must provide notice and hold a pre-detention hearing to prove he is not a flight risk. The administration announced that the shooting occurred during a mass deportation campaign initiated by President Trump.

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