- 📌 A protest is scheduled for Saturday, July 18, 2026, at Children's Park in downtown Chico, organized by the Defenders of Democracy Coalition.
- 📌 The demonstration responds to three recent deaths during immigration enforcement: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas, Johan Sebastian Guerrero in Maine, and an unidentified man in Florida.
- 📌 Organizers say the first two victims were unintended targets, highlighting concerns about ICE transparency and accountability.
- 📌 The coalition includes over 15 organizations from Butte and Glenn counties, with monitors in bright vests to assist participants.
Community Response to ICE Violence
A coalition of over 15 local organizations is rallying in Chico this Saturday to protest recent deaths during immigration enforcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Texas, Maine, and Florida. The Defenders of Democracy Coalition will gather at 11 a.m. at Children's Park, at the intersection of Broadway and the Esplanade, to demand accountability and transparency from federal immigration authorities.
Details of the Incidents
On July 7, 2026, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo of Houston, Texas, was killed by ICE agents during a traffic stop, according to the New York Times, which reported that he was apparently not the “intended target.” On Monday, July 13, 2026, 25-year-old Colombian Johan Sebastian Guerrero was shot and killed around 7 a.m. near his home in Biddeford, Maine, as he left for work; he was shot in the driver's seat of his car. According to organizers, Guerrero was living legally in the U.S. with a social security number, and his 3-year-old daughter witnessed his handcuffed body on the ground. His partner, Karolina Rojas, remembered him as a "responsible" man "devoted" to his family, saying, "My daughter asks for papa." Then, on July 14, a man who has not yet been identified was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer as he was fleeing immigration agents in Florida.
In Maine, the agents involved in the shooting were not using body cameras, and Guerrero was not the target of their probe, officials said. The shooting sparked a swift and aggressive backlash from Democrats, who are still reeling from a sexual assault allegation that forced their party's Senate nominee, Graham Platner, to quit the race late last week. Democratic officials are scheduled to select a Platner replacement at a July 25 convention, leaving the party's nominee just a few months to try to unseat longtime incumbent Sen. Susan Collins in a race seen as critical if Democrats are to win back control of the Senate. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, several would-be Collins' challengers descended upon the scene — and her office — to speak out. Senate hopeful Democrat Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, drew a direct link from the shooting to the Republican senator's oversight of ICE's budget as chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. "She's got power, but she didn't use it to rein in a rogue agency, and instead gave them a blank check to kill," Shah said in a press conference outside Collins' office on Tuesday. "It is time to abolish this broken agency. It is time to fire the leadership that has let it run wild. And it is time to retire politicians like Susan Collins who have made this lawlessness possible."
National Outcry
Protests have erupted in cities including Houston, Boston, Portland (Maine), Los Angeles, New York, and across Maine. New York Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas stated, 'These are not isolated incidents: they reflect an immigration control system that continues to operate with very little transparency, very little accountability, and devastating consequences for our communities.' The Trump administration initially ordered ICE to suspend car searches for illegal immigrants, but President Trump later reversed that decision via social media. On July 14, about 60 people gathered at Children's Park in Chico for a "Vigil for the Victims" organized by local groups. Jennifer Teague of Chico said she attended to protest the "atrocities happening in our country," calling immigration agents "unqualified" and accusing them of "terrorizing immigrants and people of color." In Houston, a vigil for Salgado Araujo featured a statement from his son, who said, "He did not deserve to die. He did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of 'Mexican man shot and killed by ICE.' He deserved to live a quiet life as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo — a husband, a father and a job creator for dozens of men who also wanted the American dream."
In New York City, a man was taken into custody after throwing an incendiary device at a federal building on Monday, July 13, causing minor injuries to several people. The man was carrying a pellet gun and anti-ICE material, according to law enforcement sources.
Meanwhile, the ICE officer connected to the fatal shooting in Maine has been identified as David Brouillette. His ex-wife, Ashley Brouillette, told CNN that David told her on the phone that he was the agent behind the deadly shooting and asked her to 'defend his character.' David Brouillette has not responded to several requests from CNN for comment. The Department of Homeland Security has declined to identify the officer, only saying "The ICE officer in question has nearly a decade of federal law enforcement experience with required training."
Local California Context
Chico's protest reflects growing concerns in Butte County, a region with a significant immigrant population. The Defenders of Democracy Coalition includes groups like the Re-Sisters, Chico Indivisible, Veteran Action Group, Chico Peace Alliance, Democratic Action Club of Chico, and the California Alliance for Retired Americans. Monitors in bright vests will be on hand to ensure safety. This event follows earlier protests in California after ICE shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January 2026.
On Saturday, July 18, Spanish music played from a portable speaker while upward of 200 protestors lined the sidewalks of Esplanade Avenue, demonstrating with homemade signs excoriating ICE. The turnout far exceeded the earlier vigil, reflecting a surge in community outrage. Residents at the protest shared their thoughts and concerns. "I don't think that violence is how we solve the issue of immigration," said Chico resident Heather Calun, a law school student at Butte College. "ICE has full immunity; it seems like they can kill at will," said Chico resident Chris Bush. "They seem to be completely immune," said another Chico resident. Organizers estimate more than two hundred people were in attendance at the protest. There were no acts of violence or confrontations at the event.
Background
ICE has faced scrutiny for use of force, particularly in cases involving mistaken identity. The January shootings of Good and Pretti sparked widespread demonstrations, and the recent incidents have reignited calls for reform. Former acting ICE director John Sandweg has commented on the need for policy changes, though no federal action has been announced.
Conclusion
The Chico protest underscores a national demand for ICE accountability. Organizers expect a large turnout and urge participants to bring signs and remain peaceful. For more information, contact the Defenders of Democracy Coalition through their member organizations.