00:05First off, thank you Mayor Whitmire and Councilmembers Martinez and Davis.
00:10Y'all were the first ones to step up and share words of condolences.
00:15Mayor, you even closed down part of Canal Street so that my mom could visit the site with no media
00:20and no crowd allowed.
00:23To the Houstonians, from the East End to the North Side, thank you.
00:28You have been the fuel to keep us going.
00:31Along with the marches and peaceful demonstrations, there's something else that you can do to help our family in this
00:37case.
00:38So, if you live anywhere near Wayside Canal or if you know anything at all pertaining to what happened on
00:44the morning of July 7th,
00:47please consider sending any and all information to the following email address, tips at aclutexas.org.
00:57But what about the rest of y'all, Councilmembers, esteemed elected officials?
01:03How have y'all showed up for my family?
01:09Not one peep from some of y'all.
01:12Where is the basic human decency?
01:15How is it that the mayor of New York City can acknowledge this injustice from afar?
01:21Especially to some of y'all at-large members.
01:24Aren't you supposed to represent the entire city of Houston?
01:27Or does your sympathy for humanity end when it comes to the East End and Magnolia Park neighborhoods?
01:34Take a page from Willie Davis' book.
01:37He has shown up to every single event.
01:40The vigils, the masses.
01:41He was there on the day of the funeral to give his condolences, to give us a hug.
01:45And to that, Councilmember Davis, thank you so much.
01:49Please expect a thank you letter from my family for all of your support.
01:56So he has shown up for us.
01:59My question for y'all is how will you show up for the rest of the immigrant community here in
02:05Houston
02:05to make sure that what happened to my dad, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, doesn't happen to any of them?
02:12This isn't a partisan issue.
02:15This is an issue of right and wrong, and this wrong needs to be addressed.
02:21Every single one of you Councilmembers have immigrants living in your district.
02:26How will you protect them?
02:29My family has been asking for three things.
02:33A full independent transparent investigation, justice for my father, and for this to never happen again.
02:42Here's how you guys can help with the third one.
02:45Consider ending the HPD partnership with ICE.
02:48Consider putting pressuring that at the state level.
02:52Call your contemporaries at the Texas Capitol and ensure that the people, especially immigrants,
02:58can have trust in their local police departments.
03:01Many crimes go unreported.
03:03Witnesses are scared to testify.
03:05All because any interaction with law enforcement can lead to deportation.
03:10And if you're scared about losing your jobs over doing the right thing, at least you still have your life.
03:16That can't be said about my father.
03:21The justice system is slowly turning towards justice for my dad.
03:26One of the men in the van will be released very soon.
03:30The other two should and must follow because they deserve to be with their families as well.
03:35I went to the deportation center, the detention center today in Conroe to visit my uncle.
03:43I'm glad to report that he's in good spirits despite the circumstances, fully supporting us from the inside.
03:50While we visited, a woman approached my brother and I and gave us words of encouragement.
03:56This is a woman who is most likely going through one of the worst experiences imaginable, seeing their loved one
04:03behind a glass.
04:04Yet she felt like she had to give us words of encouragement to consider fighting for justice for my dad.
04:12So it isn't just about releasing the other two men, Victor Hugo and Daniel Tirado, but it's also the people
04:21inside the detention centers, many of whom have no criminal record and they deserve to be with their families too.
04:29And if that woman at the detention center was able to give us words of encouragement, then why can't you
04:36use your voice as elected officials to do what is right for the immigrant communities in your districts and in
04:42the city of Houston overall?
04:44And this isn't just the entire city looking at us.
04:48The whole world is looking at us.
04:51And I invite you guys to be on the right side of history.
04:56Justice for Lorenzo, justice for Joan, and justice for all.
05:01I yield my time.
05:03Real good.
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