Councilmember Pollard for the invocation thank you, Mayor, and good afternoon to everyone.

If you would please bow your heads for a word of prayer.

Lord, thank you for waking us up to see another day.

Please watch over us and guide us as we govern through this meeting.

Watch over our city, watch over our families, uh, watch over everything that we do, have it be pleasing to you.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

We please rise for the pledge.

Mr.

Secretary, you please call the row.

Mayor Whitmeyer.

Present.

Councilmember Pick.

Here.

Councilmember Jackson.

Councilmember Panzarello.

Councilmember Ivan Shabales.

Here.

Councilmember Flickinger.

Councilmember Thomas will be absent.

Councilmember Hoffman.

Present.

Councilmember Castillo?

Here.

Councilmember Ramirez?

Here.

Councilmember Pollard.

Here.

Councilmember Castax Tatum.

Here.

Councilmember, I'm sorry, Councilmember Martinez.

Here.

Councilmember Ramirez.

Still here.

Still here.

Councilmember Davis?

Here.

Councilmember Carter.

Councilmember Salinas.

And Councilmember Alcorn.

Here.

Need a motion to delay the adoption of minutes.

Cast next title move.

Next second.

Motion made and seconded.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Procedural motions.

Castillo.

Councilmember Castillo.

And then I don't have a motion.

Um Councilmember Martinez.

Martinez.

Sure.

Did you want to move?

Yeah, let me uh pause for a moment.

Did you have a motion?

Procedure.

Procedural.

Procedural.

Yes.

You have procedural.

I do, but I want to you know you can move on.

Sure.

Sure, there's no question.

Um I have to have to go.

You go ahead.

I'll recogni I recognize you for that motion.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Mayor, I move to move Ronaldo Salgado to the top of the one-minute agenda.

Huffman seconds.

Motion made and second.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Also move to add Conchita Reyes to the speaker's list to follow Rolando Salgado.

Motion made in second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed name.

And then passes.

Lastly, Bear, I move to add Norma Matou and Ruth Rosque to the one-minute agenda to follow.

Conchita Reyes.

Huffman seconds.

Very good.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed.

Nay.

Motion passes.

And then do you have comments or did you want to do Davis's motion?

Councilmember Davis.

Thank you, Mayor.

I move to suspend the rules to add bet guide to the top of the two-minute non-agenda list.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed name.

Motion passes.

Councilmember Panzarella.

Thank you, Mayor.

I move to move uh Ruben Garza to the top of the one-minute non-agenda list.

Motion seconds.

Made and seconded.

So after the more team minutes.

Yes, sir.

Yes, yes.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed name.

Motion passes.

Give us one second and then Selena.

Okay.

Councilmember Salinas.

I move to move uh Lucia Modeno to follow Ruben Garza on the one-minute list.

Huffman seconds.

Motion made in second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Ronaldo, you want to come forward?

In your family, anyone you would like to bring.

Speaking to either Mike and I uh I recognize you and do not worry about time.

There's no restraints on you and your family.

Yes.

Let's do this.

First off.

Thank you.

Mayor Whitmeyer and Councilmembers Martinez and Davis.

Y'all were the first ones to step up and share words of condolences.

Mayor, you even closed down part of Canal Street so that my mom could visit the site with no media and no crowd allowed.

To the Houstonians from the East End to the North Side, thank you.

You have been the fuel to keep us going.

Along with the marches and peaceful demonstrations, there's something else that you can do to help our family in this case.

So if you live anywhere near Wayside Canal or if you know anything at all pertaining to what happened on the morning of July 7th, please consider sending any and all information to the following email address, tips at acl utexas.org.

But what about the rest of y'all, council members, esteemed elected officials?

How have y'all showed up for my family?

Not one peep from some of y'all.

Where is the basic human decency?

How is it that the mayor of New York City can acknowledge this disinjustice from afar?

Especially to some of y'all at large members.

Aren't you supposed to represent the entire city of Houston?

Or does your sympathy for humanity end when it comes to the East End and Magnolia Park neighborhoods?

Take a page from Willie Davis's book.

He has shown up to every single event, the vigils, the masses.

He was there on the day of the funeral to give his condolences, to give us a hug.

And to that, Councilmember Davis, thank you so much.

Thank you.

So he has shown up for us.

My question for y'all is how will you show up for the rest of the immigrant community here in Houston to make sure that what happened to my dad, Lorenzo Salgado Arauco, doesn't happen to any of them.

This isn't a partisan issue.

This is an issue of right and wrong, and this wrong needs to be addressed.

Every single one of you council members have immigrants living in your district.

How will you protect them?

My family's been asking for three things a full independent transparent investigation, justice for my father, and for this to never happen again.

Here's how you guys can help with the third one.

Consider ending the HPD partnership with ICE.

Consider putting pressuring that at the state level.

Call your contemporaries at this Texas Capitol and ensure that the people, especially immigrants, can have trust in their local police departments.

Many crimes go unreported.

Witnesses are scared to testify, all because any interaction with law enforcement can lead to deportation.

And if you're scared about losing your jobs overdoing the right thing, at least you still have your life.

Fully supporting us from the inside.

While we visited, a woman approached my brother and I and gave us words of encouragement.

This is a woman who is most likely going through one of the worst experiences imaginable, seeing their loved one behind a glass.

Yet she felt like she had to give us words of encouragement to consider fighting for justice for my dad.

So it isn't just about releasing the other two men, Victor Hugo and Daniel Tirado.

But it's also the people inside the detention centers, many of whom have no criminal record, and they deserve to be with their families too.

And if that woman at the detention center was able to give us words of encouragement, then why can't you use your voice as elected officials to do what is right for the immigrant communities in your districts and in the city of Houston overall?

And this isn't just the entire city looking at us.

The whole world is looking at us.

And I invite you guys to be on the right side of history.

Justice for Lorenzo, Justice for Joanne, and justice for all.

Thank you.

I yield my time.

Thank you for your courage.

I've been in government and sessions for years.

Your strength to being here today, your courage.

Thank you.

We all join you in calling for reforms.

Thank you.

Justice for your father.

I hope that you will communicate to your grandmother that we understand mothers are not supposed to bury their sons.

To your mother.

We stand ready to assist her.

Thank you.

We will call out for an independent, transparent investigation, which we did at this table the day after your father's murder.

We will work with our congressional leaders.

I'd like to thank, as you have Sylvia Garcia, Menifee, Lizzie Fletcher, the district attorney, Chief Diaz.

So as I've told you privately, I've on behalf of the city or a phone call away.

We want to protect your privacy, your security.

And I know this is a life-altering permanent change.

We thank you for being a school teacher and changing your plans to teach this fall.

I on behalf of this council and the citizens of Houston will memorialize your father.

We will work with the family, the community.

You have already given me some suggestions to where we never forget that your father did not lose his life in vain.

But the community will know from now on who your father was, his values, his life.

And thank you for being here today.

And to your to your brothers, your mother, your grandmother, and to the community.

I hope that people will show your family the respect as we exercise our First Amendment and not make this any more painful than it already has been.

As I mentioned two years ago.

But we have to together get through this, represent the immigrant community, the East Side, and all Houstonians, and not only talk about our diversity, but practice it in our inclusion.

So thank you for being here and showing the courage that you're displaying.

I know your father would be proud of you.

Councilmember Salinas.

Mr.

Salagado, I want to thank you for being here today.

I can't imagine how difficult the last few weeks have been.

But your courage is an inspiration to the entire city.

And what I heard you to say is to end HPD's cooperation with ICE.

And I will tell you, sir, that many of us tried to do to reduce the cooperation many months ago.

That effort was ultimately overturned by Governor Abbott.

But you have my pledge, and I'm sure others on this council to do everything in our power to bring that ordinance back to honor your wishes to ensure that we are doing everything we can to reduce cooperation with ICE.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

To our guest, uh we have a long list of speakers signed up today.

Because we have more than 150 minutes worth of speakers.

Because we have more than 150 minutes worth of speakers, the rules require us to only give each speaker one minute, even if you signed up for more.

I'll try to use my good judgment.

But uh I hope in the spirit of unity, and you know we are doing the right thing.

And I've just expressed we're gonna get through this together.

I hope we can have respect for the hearing and listen to all the speakers without interruptions and have a productive public speaking tonight.

With that, Mr.

Secretary, we call it first speaker.

Conchita Reyes.

To be followed by Norma Motu.

Good afternoon, Mayor, Council members.

My name is Conchita Reyes.

I'm a community advocate, and I'm also part of Lulak Council 60.

On that tragic day, I was there and I met Ronaldo.

And from then on, I've been at his side and his family's side every single day.

So there have been people I've contacted at the parents at the family's request.

But this is an opportunity to invite everyone.

Everyone that's watching, everyone is a surround the horseshoe, everyone behind me.

I'm inviting you to partake in this endeavor.

There's a place for everyone.

There's a place for the right the people that are rallying, protesting, there's a place for our elected officials, there are place of business owners, and there is places for our community.

This is a time that not only are we finding for human rights, but you show humanity towards one another.

So I ask everyone to show respect in the name of Lorenzo, to show love, to show community, and show how strong Houston is.

Thank you.

Norma Matu.

Yes.

To be followed by Ruth Ross.

Yes, thank you.

Hi, my name is Norma Motu.

I'm not going to stand here and give you a statistics because y'all already know what the statistics are.

You know what's going on.

But what I am going to ask is to remind yourselves that when you're speaking to the governor, right?

Ask him this question.

Do you know what an immigrant looks like?

Because my birth certificate says white.

But you wouldn't know that if you see me driving to the school that I'm going to teach at, or the children that I'm driving.

You would not know that.

You would think that I'm an immigrant because of the color of my skin, and right now immigrants are to ice brown and black people.

And so I really need you to understand that this is not a state, local, or federal issue.

Why cannot why can't we see it as a humanitarian issue?

Because the United Nations.

The United Nations, Mr.

Bill, Mr.

John Whitmeyer, I'm sorry, Mayor Whitmeyer.

Um, the United Nations has called for an in for actively calling for an independent investigations into the spike of the deaths involving U.S.

immigrations and custom enforcements.

So why is our governor above the UN?

Why can't the governor understand?

And then, sir, what is your name?

Councilmember Ramirez.

Ramirez, okay.

So I saw you at the Texas um legislative caucus the other day, and I saw you asking the representatives.

Can City Council be involved?

Yes, you can.

Yes, you can, sir.

Because you know what?

To IC at 6 30 in the morning, you look like an immigrant too.

Sir, John Waymeyer, we are being targeted by our color.

We are not being targeted by the knowledge or by our bachelor's, our masters, the education that we've sought for that our par my our fathers and mothers fought for.

We are being targeted by our color.

And sir, with all due respect, thank God, it was not uh thank God school was not in session because had that rogue bullet gone into one of my baby students buses that they have to drive to get to school.

We would have had another issue here.

And we're about to start school in two weeks, sir.

You're gonna have more people on these roads, your roads, sir, that you that you swore to protect, that every one of you has sworn to protect.

And you had teachers that are teaching here with immigrant status, sir.

We really need you to uh you might not be over the mayor, and I do thank you for for talking and speaking, but you know what I need you to do, sir.

I need you to help HPD understand that helping ice right now is not the case.

We need to get our children educated.

These this issue is above immigration, sir.

This is a humanitarian issue, sir.

Yes, ma'am.

No more deaths, please.

Thank you.

Ruth Rosk.

To be followed by Matthew Alex.

After her.

Hi, how are you?

Nice to see all of you guys.

This is my first time here, but I'm always watching everything on the news that's going on, and I'm a Houstonian.

I grew up here, born here.

My mom immigrated here from El Salvador.

And I don't have a lot, I could say a lot, but I think what I'm gonna do instead is just read a letter from somebody that was in detention and what happened to them while they were in detention.

And I also brought it for you guys to see if you want to look at it, you can have the copies.

Um but sorry, I'm nervous, and I want to say this without too much emotion, but this has been going on since I mean it's always been happening, but I feel like it's ramped up more since last year, around the time that Emmanuel was taken unjustly, hell for 50 days, and then at that time I said, these people are out here in our streets making it unsafe, and someone's gonna get hurt.

Somebody got killed.

Right.

So I've been saying that's gonna happen since January, when I seen this person get taken in my neighborhood, a couple.

So guys want to keep it, it's there, but they went to three different detention centers in one month and were deported back to Venezuela, and they did everything right.

So what I'm saying is this is affecting our neighborhood.

It's hurting our neighborhood.

I grew up in Spring Branch, my neighborhood's not the same anymore.

People are scared, people don't want to go outside, kids are suffering, and the people don't understand is that this all has a ripple effect on our youth.

It's creating a whole wave of youth that are gonna be mad at you guys for what y'all did to their parents, because if what was happening right now was happening when I was a kid because my mom came home in the 80s from El Salvador, which is a whole nother issue that we're not gonna talk about because of why she came here.

She fled a civil war because her country was messed up.

My dad is an American.

I'm half Salvadorian, half American.

If right now was happening, I would be at risk of losing a family member or a parent.

Right now, I have family members at risk of being deported.

I'm talking children.

Okay, ma'am.

Thank you.

What I'm saying is it's affecting everybody in so many ways, and it's hurting our children, and we shouldn't have to have safety action plans for kids that are born here just in case they go out with their dad, who's Mexican who looks a certain way, who in case he gets pulled over, we have to have a plan of action.

Thank you.

That's it.

You're welcome.

Thank you.

Mayor Time for Thank you so much for your time, and I feel bad for our neighborhood and I hope it heals.

Thank you.

Um Mayor Pro King.

Thank you, Mayor.

I moved to suspend the rules to uh Ton Wynne uh behind Saji Chako under the three minute motions made.

All in favor say yes, those post night motion passes.

Next speaker, please.

Good evening, honorable manager and council members.

My name is Matthew Alex Bastio San Marisclana Catholic Church.

I respectively support agenda item seventeen.

Our request is limited or modesty muscle in our parish members within World Church Campus.

I would like to it would be no underground devious and would be permanently maintained by the parish.

We are committed to protect public health, safety, environment in our neighbors.

We are complete all the applicable city and state requirements.

The project would provide priorities with the dignified Catholic Resting Peace Area near our spiritual home.

Please vote for agenda item 17.

Thank you, sir.

Next.

Abraham Jacob of Missouri City.

To be followed by Jasem Jacob of Missouri City.

Good evening, Honorable Mayor and uh respected council members.

My name is Father Abraham Jacob.

I'm the pastor of the St.

Mary's Canana Catholic Church at 6400 Pet Book War Drive.

Although our mailing address is Missouri City, our property is within the jurisdiction of the city of Houston.

I respectfully support agenda item 17.

Our parish wishes to apply for permission to construct a modest above ground museum within our church campus.

It would contain sealed individual crypts on an engineered concrete platform with no underground burial.

It would be reserved for parish members and permanently maintained by the church.

This request comes especially from our senior citizens who desire a signified Catholic resting place near the church that has been their spiritual home.

In our faith, caring for the deceased, they say corporal work of mercy and praying for them.

Express our hope in the resurrection.

We are prepared to comply with all requirements concerning public health engineering accessibility and neighborhood protection.

So please adopt agenda 18 item 17 so that we may submit a complete application for the city's professional review.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, Joseph Jacob from Missouri City to be followed by Jose Chaco of Missouri City.

Good afternoon, Honorable Mayor and Council members.

Thank you all for time.

And I don't want to repeat what our father said.

It's a same request that kindly approve our project.

And our community will be really thankful and it will be a big help for the community, especially the elderly people who cannot afford a uh what you call uh expensive burial or anything, and uh elderly people they cannot visit their loud one's side on a distant place.

So it will be very helpful for us, and I want to thank you all, and especially I want to extend our thanks for Mr.

Samora, who has been a lot of time for this project and helping us on this matter.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Next, Jose Chaco.

To be followed by Saji Chako.

Peral.

Good evening, Honorable Mayor and Council members.

My name is Josh Chako.

I am the treasurer of St.

Mary's Granite Catholic Church.

I respectfully support agenda item 17.

Our proposal has been designed with the public health, safety, environmental responsibility, and neighborhood protection in mind.

The mausoleum would contain permanently sealed crypts constructed entirely above grounds on an engineered concrete platform.

It would be located inside our existing walled church campus.

Its architecture, landscaping, lighting, drainage, access, and screening, and screening would complement the church and protect neighboring properties.

We are pleased to we are prepared to submit a professional survey, site plan, engineering and drainage documents, access plan, maintenance program, and all required health and environmental information.

The parish will also provide permanent supervision and financial responsibility by the state.

We welcome a careful review.

We are not requesting exemption from regulation.

We are requesting a clear and transparent process through which we can demonstrate complaints.

Please support agenda item 17.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor Protein.

Thank you, Mayor.

My question is for um our our city attorney.

So uh tomorrow when we um look at item 17 for the mausoleum.

Uh, this is located at 6400 uh West Vicky in Fort B in Houston.

Uh the church is wanting to erect the mausoleum.

We did not have anything on the books for someone to erect a cemetery on private property.

So we have this now.

Uh we vote for this tomorrow, then what is the next step for the church in order for them to be able to move forward?

Right.

So what the ordinance does tomorrow is prescribe the information that has to be submitted by the church in order to open this mausoleum, and as I have spoken to them, this is a mausoleum that would be only on the church property and only open to individuals who are members of that church.

So um so it's uh it's a very it's gonna be a very small mausoleum.

So the ordinance tomorrow essentially says if you would like to open this mausoleum, or it could be a cemetery, but in this case a mausoleum, within the city limits, this is the information that we need.

They will provide that to the city secretary.

Once they provide that information, there has to be a second vote by council where council has to essentially make the determination that this mausoleum will not impact the health and safety of essentially the neighborhood.

There's a little bit more.

Um it's uh for many, many years to begin with you.

You could not open up a mausoleum or cemetery within city limits.

That was a law.

The law was changed several years ago, and it is now a two-step process.

Process number one is pass an ordinance that prescribes one information uh the the a city once.

Uh and then the step second step is to review that information and decide that yes, you can open the cemetery within the city limits.

So then after they provide the information to the city secretary, we would provide the city council members.

Uh we'd probably also have the health department look at it.

Okay.

And then you would have to make a determination.

Who actually will from the city will actually make that determination?

So the health department would probably go and then we'll get the briefing and then we make the decision.

That is correct.

Okay.

Thank you.

Next Saji Chako to be followed by Tom Wynne.

Good evening, honourable mayor and council members.

My name is Sayichaco, one of the trustees of Sem Mary's Glana Catholic Church.

Catholics preach the bodies of the deceased with the dignity and consider pray for them as secret responsibility.

Our families, studies and leave visit the tombs after church services on anniversaries, memorial days and all sales day.

Since there is no convenient located Catholic Cemetery near our parish, a mausoleum on the church campus would allow elderly spouses, children, and grandchildren to pray for their loved ones without traveling long distances.

Please support agenda item 17 and allow our parish to submit his application for city review.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Next.

To be followed by Ruben Garza.

Thank you, Councilmember Cossack Statum for adding me.

Um I wanted to say and ask the mayor if he knew the names of the three men that were detained after Lorenzo Salgado Rajo was killed.

If he knew their full names.

All right.

So I'll share their names.

I might struggle a bit.

Victor Salgado Raoho, of course, his brother.

Daniel Pandora Torado and Jose Trinidad Rojas.

Are any of these men worth less because they did not die?

Where are the calls for their freedom?

Mayor Whitmeyer constantly proclaims his leadership in this city.

In a New York Times interview, he bemoans leadership like that of Zoran Momdani.

And yet, when an immigrant was detained by ICE, the next day, the mayor, Mumdani, called President Trump, and the immigrant was released.

But here for a year we've been told that City Council has no power.

So Mayor Whitmeyer, as you've communicated to all of us, you're in constant communication with the governor, with the president.

Your leadership, your relationship with them has ensured this city's safety.

Although people continue to be detained, and now someone is killed.

And so I'd like to ask that this amazing relationship that you have with the President that you use to free the free time has expired.

Thank you, Mayor and City Council.

Um I first want to preface this by saying that I'm not here to speak about the Salgado family or the shooting, but my condolences are with the family, and hopefully we will see some justice prevail for Lorenzo, including the prosecutor the prosecution of his murderers.

Uh I'm here to talk about the Houston Chronicle editorial piece's opinion on uh piece on parking reform.

Whether you like the Houston Chronicle or not, even if you don't, you gotta admit a broken clock is right twice a day.

Uh the Houston Chronicle called the attention to uh parking reform as a vital step for economic development and uh infill in the city of Houston.

As a city, we can either increase taxes or fees, reduce services, or develop in a more productive way.

I opt I hope that the city chooses option three.

We eliminate parking requirements and allow developers to allow developers and uh small business owners and local businesses to develop and build homes as needed in our communities, because that's what we need the most right now.

And I know I'm coming to City Council to testify about this again and again and again, but this is an issue that means a lot to me because I care about small business, I care about economic development, and I'm sick and tired of the city being too broke to do anything about streets, about flooding, and very lastly, I'm gonna keep coming back here until my hair either looks like Councilmember Ramirez's or Councilman or Mayor Whitmyers, depending on which side of the family's genes I have.

Thank you.

Next, Lucia Moreno.

To be followed by Ryan Anderson.

I think there's a confusion because I'm set for the three minutes instead of the one minute I'm on the list.

So I'm not sure.

And thank you for my trash can there.

Okay, thank you.

If I didn't know I was this close.

Okay.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for your time today.

I am here to offer concrete solutions to generate revenue for BARC and the city through ordinances enforcement while addressing the severe animal welfare crisis in our neighborhoods.

Many people look at animal rescuers and think we are just crazy pet people.

We are not.

Many of us come from places of deep personal hardship.

I was living on the streets at 14 to escape an abusive home, beaten by a stepmother with dog chains.

We didn't have CPS then.

So it meant nothing.

We do this work from a place of profound empathy, not for attention.

I have been an independent rescuer in this city for over 30 years, and I can tell you firsthand, the situation is getting worse because our city ordinances are completely ignored.

People travel from all over the city to abandon pets in our neighborhoods daily.

Rescues are aging out, and we cannot keep up.

We have great laws on the books, but they lack enforcement.

And the few tickets written are often dismissed.

To fix this, raise revenue and save animals, I propose three immediate actions.

Enforce parking lot sales.

Individuals selling puppies in parking lots should face three immediate citations.

Operating a business without a permit, breeding with a without a license, and standard animal ordnance violations.

That's three tickets.

That's money.

If they cannot pay the fines, mandate community service hours directly at BARC or register rescues to offset the labor shortage.

Establish a volunteer 311 animal for task force to keep from Indian dating outward 311 operators.

The city should utilize our massive network of independent rescuers and street feeders as trained volunteers to process, vet, and routine animal welfare data directly to bark.

Address breeding among the unhoused.

Well, many unhoused individuals care for their pets.

Some use them to generate donations, mistreat them, or breed them for cash parking lot sales.

We must enforce a mandate to keep an animal to keep an animal in these conditions.

It must be spayed or neutered.

Rescues will gladly facilitate this using existing free city and nonprofit resources.

Rescues and independent feeders are ready to jump in and assist the city in any way we can.

However, we need the city to meet us halfway.

Right now, when we try to report these violations, some police officers laugh at the ordinances or refuse to help.

We don't necessarily need new laws.

We need the political will to enforce the ones we have.

Let's protect our animals, support our rescuers, and generate the revenue BARC desperately needs.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Coming up here.

I saw plenty of them.

But I do have a complaint about coming in today.

After five, we can't go through your tunnel.

They tell us that we can't.

And if you're handicapped like myself, I have to come up the stairs, walk over here, and you're thanks.

You're they're blocked.

We have to go around and up the stairs.

We will address that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

One more thing, Mayor.

Please don't be mad at me.

But I do need to say this today.

Get closer to the mic.

Today I saw one of your councilmen be very rude to Councilman Selinas' uh person.

I'm sitting there.

They know I'm sitting there.

I'm a constituent.

How dare you, Councilman Davis, come up and threaten that man.

You could have told him in another way that you don't want your face on his video.

What you did was wrong.

Thank you.

Ryan Anderson, to be followed by Lindsay Burroughs.

Hello.

Both ICE and HPD are actively trampling on our first, fourth, and fifth amendment rights.

While you, Jeremia Mayor uh John Whitmeyer, continue to bend the knee to the fascist movement in this country.

The Wednesday after ICE murdered Lorenzo Salgado Ajo, I was at the vigil.

I know none of y'all were there, so I'll give you a quick recap.

The vigil was on the same side of the street that was under construction.

It was blocked off independent of the vigil being there.

However, at 9 15, HPD officers instructed us to leave.

We were mourning at a vigil.

And they told me they wanted to uh open it up for traffic.

Like I said, it was already under construction.

They couldn't, the cars couldn't get on there on that street regardless.

And so I tried to tell that HPD officer that.

HPD spits on the Fourth Amendment every time they hold a Houstonia at a traffic stop just for ICE to show up.

And now ICE is obstructing due process.

The Fifth Amendment for Victor Salgado at Aho, Daniel Pantohan and uh Jose Rojas.

These men are not only witnesses to ICE's murder, but they are victims of ICE as well.

Free them.

Lindsay Burroughs.

Jeremy Peel.

To be followed by James Shriver.

Good evening, Council.

On July 7th, I was at a court in third ward representing an undocumented couple during their eviction proceeding.

When we left the courtroom, I advised them not to communicate with their landlord to avoid upsetting her because I was afraid they might retaliate and call ICE.

What I didn't know was that a couple hours earlier, only a few miles away, Lorenzo Salgado Arajo had been murdered by ICE in our streets.

For months, we warned you that this could happen in our city, and you said there was nothing you could do.

However, we now know that not only has HPD increased the number of times they've called ICE, but they've doubled those numbers.

We know that some officers waited over two hours for ICE to arrive, even after being directed not to.

While HPD wasn't involved in the shooting, when you hand over a detainee to ICE, you're handing them over to the very agents who murdered one of our own.

And if this is what they're willing to do in our streets, what do you think they're willing to do behind the closed doors of a detention facility where they're threatening witnesses?

Let me assure you, we are going to the polls in November, and we will do the same next year as well.

This is not a political issue.

This is a public safety issue.

And you can't say you care about public safety until you care about the safety of all Houstonians, regardless of where they came from.

James Shriver.

James Shriver.

To be followed by Jesus Nieto.

Mayor, members of council.

This is not the first time I've come to you to speak about immigrants' rights.

We've come for months.

After the killings in Minnesota, we knew this was gonna happen in Houston.

We tried to get you to take action.

Councilmember Salvinus wrote an ordinance.

The governor vetoed the ordinance.

How ridiculous is that.

We call upon you to reinstate the ordinance.

Break the collaboration between HPD and ICE.

This is the most ridiculous thing in the world.

My heart goes out to the family.

Jesus Nieto.

Alisia Newman.

To be followed by Ethan Campbell.

Can you all hear me in that crowd?

Thank you.

Okay, let's start with Councilmember Evan Shabazz.

I want to start well, I want to start with saying I have semi-personal relationships with some of you, so I acknowledge that you're human beings.

But we've asked you to do a job.

Councilmember Evans, I don't appreciate how you address the crowd in uh uh testimony of the other day, saying that we need to vote on people.

I'm looking at you.

You're sitting right here, you're an elected official.

And I'm gonna keep going because I'm being timed.

But we also can't elect anybody in HPD.

This is not the county, like there's nothing that we can do.

We're asking you to show up right now.

I want to say, John Whitmire, you've done some amazing work in the past.

One of the biggest things that you've done is repeal the Texas sodomy law in 1993, after the height of the AIDS epidemic.

You fought you worked to decriminalize Truency and you fought for DACA recipients.

Where is that guy?

I don't see him today.

Bring him back.

And I want to call for the release of the witnesses to Lorenzo Sargado's murder.

And the last thing is that none of your jobs are safe.

If you're a term limited, you're lucky.

If you're not, well, I would say you should keep your eyes out, because we are coming for your jobs.

We are not afraid to run.

We will replace you.

Ethan Campbell of Crosby.

Quinn DuFarina.

To be followed by Isaiah Lopez.

Good evening.

My name is Quinn Duferena.

I am a um resident of District H.

I'm here tonight to do uh three things.

Ask you to do more to bring justice for the murder of Lorenzo Salgado Arauhu and his family to secure the release of the remaining Houstonians held in ICE custody and end city collaboration with ICE.

We have a small win, small victory to celebrate tonight with the judge's order to release Jose Rojas Piego.

Now, this was a choice of a federal judge, but this release was made possible by the pressure by family members, by citizens like ourselves, and politicians like you.

Each of you has more power, magnitudes more power than any of us in the crowd and the average Houstonian.

So use that power.

Leverage your influence on federal officials, business leaders.

We all know a lot of you have good relationship with business leaders.

So use your voice to stop ICE terrorism here in the city of Houston, in our city, in your city, and just do more.

Isaiah Lopez.

Samuel Jesse.

To be followed by Michael Hillby.

Hello.

Um my name is Dr.

Samuel David Jess of District D.

My views represent my own.

However, I'd like to get your views with a simple poll.

I invite you to you and this uh people behind me to raise your hands.

Raise your hands if you see immigrants as your neighbors, regardless of their documentation status.

Raise your hand if you are outraged by the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Orajo by ICE.

Raise your hand if you want the city to end collaboration with HPD and ICE and will fight the state to bring the ordinance back.

Raise your hand if you want Victor Salgado Orajo, Daniel Torado Pantoja, and Jose Trinidad Rojas to be free from Joe Corley processing center in Conroe.

Now raise your fist if you are hungry to unite with the people beside you and take action to make sure that this never happens in our city again.

Now I don't need to turn around to know where the people behind me stand.

And if you are unwilling to take a stand on this now, then please follow the logical conclusion.

You can do so by lying on your belly like a coward of snakes and retreating back into the darkness from whence you came.

Hello, uh, my name is Mike Hilbrig, and I'm an organizer with the PSL who also used to teach freshman composition at the University of Houston downtown.

I'd like to talk about a student I had some years back, an 18-year-old first generation college student from El Salvador.

She wrote me a personal narrative about the time when she was five years old and had to close her eyes and hold her mother's hand as they waded through a river of dead bodies to get here on their way to seeking asylum.

I don't know what has happened to her since.

Uh, but I wonder if she's sitting in ice detention today.

I'm also reminded by my work in the pro-Palestine movement that this city council has still not divested from sending weapons to Israel, made by the same companies who have sent numerous arms shipments to Latin America.

When you take blood money, you create the situation in which people need to flee authoritarian governments in the first place.

And when you fail to act when men like Lorenzo are murdered, you participate in the same authoritarian terror here.

And that you stand up and fight for your own people.

Many of whom have fled many of whom have fled countries because of blood money that people in this city council have taken.

Shame.

Hi, everyone.

I originally came to ask about air conditioning and climate change and how we can go down an air conditioning road and want climate change at the same time, because they seem to be against each other, working against each other.

So there seems to be a divide there.

But what I but I'm sitting here listening to this, I am a naturalized American citizen.

I did it legally.

And I I appreciate that you know nobody should have the right to get shot and all this other stuff that goes on, but on the other side of the coin, guys, you're putting me at risk because we're not enforcing the law, and by not enforcing the law, those of us that are here legally, we're struggling against it.

Either we're a city of laws or we're not a city of laws, and we need to pick a dis uh direction and go in that direction.

But what I will say is that I came here for a better life.

I did it legally, and every time we put me and lump me in the same breath as somebody that didn't, you're demeaning me and taking away my stature as well.

And I I don't know that people think about the naturalized American citizens.

And there's a lot of us.

I did a head count, I'm here with a group of eight.

Over one third of that group is naturalized.

So thank you.

Have a good afternoon.

Lorenzo Salgado Jr.

Jr.

I don't think you see Tom Beachum.

To be followed by Christopher Casas.

Good evening, City Council.

Hello, my name is Tom Beauchamp, and I'm a proud veteran of the United States Army, residing in District J in Southwest Houston.

I'm standing here today in solidarity with this community, alongside my fellow veterans from Common Defense.

Because on July 7th, an ICE officer took the life of Lorenzo Salgado Orajo, right here in our city.

That was wrong.

It was a wrongful killing, and we will not look away from it.

When I raised my right hand and swore an oath to defend the Constitution, I meant it.

Every veteran standing with me today meant it too.

Many people think the oath ends when your service does.

It doesn't.

It never expires.

Not for me, not for any of us.

It's still binding.

It still means something, and that's why we're here.

So I'm demanding, we are demanding that the city of Houston require HPD fully to fully cooperate with the Harris County District Attorney's independent investigation.

Release the surveillance footage and don't obstruct the justice that Lorenzo and his community deserves.

And I'm demanding that this city pass ordinances so that no federal agency, no task force can carry out a high-risk operation or a traffic stop inside Houston City limits in secret.

That means unmasked, on camera, and with local dispatch notified.

If you're going to act in our city, we have a right to see your face and know your name.

Lorenzo deserved better.

Lorenzo deserved better.

His family deserves to still have him at home.

Our neighbors here in Houston deserve better, and Houston can do better.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All the same, separating her from her infant son.

Learning that HPD assisted ICE in this makes me ashamed of our city silence.

I question the sincerity of leaders who claim to support the troops while enabling policies that tear their families apart.

No human being, regardless of status, should have their parents kidnapped or killed.

A federal judge ordered a Jose release yesterday.

I asked you to publicly call on ICE to release Victor Daniel and Jose, the key witnesses in the murder of Lorenzo Salgado Laurajo.

Thank you.

Rishab Chaula.

To be followed by Griffin Walker.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

My name is Rishab Chola.

I am a um I'm part of uh District D.

Uh one year ago I stood here and spoke about HPD's shameful collaboration with ICE that unfortunately Mayor Whitmeyer has repeatedly overseen and defended.

And who has paid the price of this?

Over 100 calls to ICE in the last three months alone, leading to several detentions of community members.

This has a chilling effect on people simply being able to participate and exist in public society.

Avoiding grocery store shopping, fear of dropping one's kids to school, or God forbid not going to the doctor when you're sick because you don't know if it'll be your last time with your family.

I'm a resident physician and a child psychiatrist in training.

And it breaks my heart to say that separating children from their parents in this way has been linked to increased anxiety, behavioral issues, and PTSD symptoms.

But it shouldn't take a doctor to know that.

It just should shake a human being.

And right now I'm doubting your humanity.

So will you be a fellow human and call for the immediate release of Victor Salgado Arajo, Daniel Parado Pantolo, and Jose Trindad Rosa.

Thank you.

I'm Griffin from District C, and I'm an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Stand Up Houston, an immigrant rights volunteer network.

It's been three weeks since the murder of Lorenzo Salgado Arajo, and we still don't know the names of his murderers.

They get to go home to their families and continue terrorizing our community while Lorenzo's family will never see him again.

That makes it perfectly clear that some community members are worth more than others to you.

You're fine with letting ICE agents who are murderers run among in unmarked cars with faces hidden and weapons poised to kill the rest of us?

Are they deserving of some protection that the rest of us are not?

When an immigration violation, a civil offense which is not a crime, is punished more heavily than murder.

The only logical explanation is racism.

And now, as TPS ends for Haitians this week, the entire black community in Houston and across this country will be further endangered.

We know ICE agents don't care whether we're citizens or not.

Do you?

As long as we're black and brown, they'll kidnap us or kill us first and maybe ask questions later.

If you are not demanding the release of the names of Lorenzo's murderers, the release of the other men imprisoned, you are an enemy of the people of Houston.

Cora fortune.

To be followed by Sylvester Radenberg.

Okay, I'm gonna say it again.

It has been three weeks since Lorenzo Salgado Arajo was murdered, and we still don't know the names of his killers.

We still do not have justice.

Everyone who sits in front of us today has failed the city of Houston.

You have let ice run rampant in our streets.

You do not serve the people of the city.

You tell us to act right.

Wait for November.

But those are the words of cowards.

The people of Houston, we are a people of courage.

We have stood up, we have taken to the streets, we have shut our businesses down to demand justice for Lorenzo.

And when we look at history, we know that every victory that the working people of this country have ever won was not handed to us by the people in power.

No, we had to struggle.

We had to fight for those victories, and we're gonna keep doing that.

The people of Houston are going to keep fighting for our city, for an end to ICE terror, for justice for Lorenzo, and the people who are meant to serve us, you have failed, but we know that we run this city, and we have the power to keep shutting it down until justice is served.

Justice for us, call your next speaker.

Sebastian Raidenberg, Sebastian Raidenberg.

To be followed by Jasmine Katamag Baori.

I'm Sylvester.

I'm an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

For well over a year, ICE with the full cooperation of HBD has been terrorizing our immigrant communities.

And now they've murdered a Houstonian.

And the response from the mayor and many on city council has been baffling.

Complaining about how our protests make you feel, saying there's not much you can do.

Blaming your own constituents for not voting in some election that hasn't happened yet.

You continue to make excuses while ordinary people exhaust every channel available to them to get justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

The entire country is watching what is happening here, and they are watching you refuse to bring these killer ICE agents to justice.

Why do we still not know the names of Lorenzo's killers?

We are seeing the ramifications of this in Maine, in Florida, in Wisconsin, in Austin.

ICE and police feel emboldened to use excessive lethal violence because they know they can do it with impunity, with anonymity, without anyone knowing their names.

Release the names of Lorenzo's killers to the public, release the other witnesses, and get these sadistic killer ice agents off our streets.

What did you do?

You had the opportunity to fight ICE and you refused.

And now a father has been murdered.

You emboldened ICE, and the result is that in the last three months, HPD has called ICE over a hundred times, and 19 people have been taken into ICE custody.

I spoke to one of the community members who was detained and deported during one of HPD's traffic stops last year.

They told me that the day that they were deported was the day that their happiness was taken away from them.

And to this day, they haven't gotten it back.

So don't tell us that there's nothing you can do.

Don't tell us to vote harder.

Don't tell us we need to reform ICE.

Have the political and moral will to act, to say the words abolish ICE, even if it doesn't please your donors.

Your time has expired.

Have the political courage to end HPD's relationship with ICE, even if you have to stand up to the state to do it.

And use every political connection you have to ensure that Victor Salgado Araujo and Daniel Tirado Pantoja get out of detention and get ICE out of Houston.

Claire Stately.

HPD has no mandate, no authority to enforce immigration warrants.

HPD is wasting resources, kidnapping people, and holding them hostage, spending six times longer waiting around for ICE than on any other call.

Because HPD and this council has allowed ICE to ransack our city.

Lorenzo Salgado Arojo was murdered on its way to work.

This council has insisted it can do nothing when the thing it could have done and should have done is something Council Member Salinas has already proposed.

Stop HPD's collaboration with ICE!

Mayor Whitmeyer would rather bow down to Abbott and Trump than protect the citizens!

He promised to serve Lorenzo!

Lorenzo lived more years in this city than I've been alive.

He was as much a part of this city as I am.

This is a racist system!

You are upholding!

You are encouraging and facilitating the abuse, enslavement, and murder of people for profit!

Are we meant to ignore the overtime police earn from all this waiting around?

Are we meant to ignore the donations to your campaign funds from their unions?

Are we meant to ignore the massive contracts?

Corporations like Core Civic received from the state to hold innocent, including children in abhorrent conditions.

How dare you do this with our tax dollars?

When we can barely afford to pay our bills and put food on the table.

And HBD's collaboration with ICE now.

Good evening.

My name is Antonio Ventura, and I am an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

I'm a child of an immigrant who used to live and work here in Houston.

And I have found my city's my city's leadership and the response to ICE's invasion of Houston to be extremely disturbing.

Mayor Whitmaier, you hesitated to call for an independent investigation when Lorenzo Sandado Arauco was murdered on our streets.

And still you refuse to take productive steps towards exiling ICE from our city.

Instead, you call for a moratorium.

What else do you have to see?

You lied to our faces when you said HPD was not working with ICE.

You gave in to the fascist Republican party's demands and kept these known murders on our streets.

You let them flee to traffic our neighbors into for-profit facilities where they face inhumane, torturous conditions, medical neglect, and rape.

Over paperwork, by the way.

Thank you.

And apparently you think that body cameras will fix this as if there isn't more than enough evidence of ICE's depraved behavior.

We know that they lied.

They dare to lie about Mr.

Aqua having drugs in his car when he was on his way to work building this city.

ICE doesn't need no training, they don't need reform, they don't need a body cameras, and they won't be stopped by a moratorium.

Aya Hanifa.

To be followed by Jeffrey Foley.

I am here to express my frustration and my anger over the lack of accountability and transparency of city officials and ICE in relation to the July 7th murder of Lorenzo Salgado Oraho.

It has been three weeks since Lorenzo was killed in cold blood while on his way to work.

Something that no one should fear doing by ICE agents whose names have still not been released.

The citizens of Houston deserve transparency.

The family of Lorenzo deserves transparency.

And while the Arajo family and the community grieves the loss of a father and worry for the well-being of a detained uncle, these murderous ICE agents are being protected by the elected officials that are supposed to represent us.

They are going about their lives as if they don't have a man's blood on their hands, hiding like cowards behind their mask.

While Lorenzo's names is being dragged with false accusations, these agents are avoiding public repercussions for their actions.

We, as members of the community, demand justice for Lorenzo Salgado Arajo and demand the release of the names of the ICE agents now.

Hello, my name is Aya Hanifa.

I'm an organizer with the PSL.

Mayor Whitmore Whitmeyer, for almost two years, you have chosen to stay complacent and show no urgency to stop the collaboration with ICE in the city.

The people you vowed to serve have begged you to take action for months.

Even when a neighbor, father, and essential worker was murdered in your own streets, still you do nothing.

You have shown that you do not care to protect the city or the tyrannical killers known as ICE.

And to Miss Carolyn F.

Evans, you have the audacity to look us in the face and tell us that the solution to all of this is to go vote.

Voting going up to the polls is not gonna bring Lorenzo back to his family.

These last two weeks have proven one thing.

That the people that live here in this city have each other's backs.

Were you all slack to even look up at us as we demand justice?

We the people, Linda listening ear to each other, a shoulder to cry on, and a hand in hand as we march for restitution.

The people of this city have shown radical love, love for their community by taking to the streets to protest and get organized to defend their neighbors, getting terrorized by ice.

Only we will be our own heroes.

Justice for Lorenzo, abolish ice now.

Council Moslainus.

I'd like to make a procedural motion to add Haley Rogers to the end of the speaker's list.

Second Haley Rogers.

Motion made in a segment.

All in favor say yes.

Motion passes.

Oh, uh, sorry.

Mr.

Mayor, men and women of spit of city council.

My name is Jeffrey Foley, and I come before you to entreat with you for justice.

Justice, of course, for the murdered Lorenzo Arajo.

Now, while that man's life cannot be given back, as I speak, originally three, now just two of his fellows by the grace of a federal judge, those men being Daniel Pantoja and his own brother, Victor Arajo, remain in custody.

These men in custody are not criminals.

They are not villains nor crooks nor anything of the like.

They are common people, workers of flesh and blood, people who labor to provide for themselves, for their families, for their communities, people who have been made victims by a state apparatus that thrives upon racialized violence.

Those men in custody have done no genuine wrong to anyone in this city.

No one in here, no one out there, no wrong whatsoever.

Thus, in accordance with that which is good and just, I call upon the city council to do all that is possible within its power to release those two men to see to their release and to end the collaboration with the gang of fascist bandits that call themselves ICE.

Thank you.

Eric Erisian.

Um for everyone, but yeah, just like every two or three, because this is not enough.

And then one for a mayor, the one that says the game, y'all would stop the share.

So all right.

Uh thank you, City Council and Mayor.

Uh Councilmember Amy Peck.

Good to see you.

You're I remember when you were the assistant to my former city council member back at Springbrand, so it's good to see you.

Okay.

Okay.

Uh, this was already was slated post before two.

Three minutes.

Um, so I'll try to truncate this, but at least you have uh the documents there.

And then um so I'm a pedicap uh uh not just driver, but also a owner of Houston Petty Cas, one of the original pedicab companies.

And I'm also as of right now, really the one of the the only actual uh in uh uh uh compliance or basically legal pedicab because I do not use electric motor.

The city uh you can see there the city defines petty cabs as bicycle, tricycle, that's the vice it's human po uh paled, so the city doesn't allow motors.

Uh but every one of every petty cab out there has electric motors, so they're out of compliance.

Even those people that came in here several months ago when they were planning, they had legitimate complaints.

But the one thing they didn't tell you is all those guys also had motors, so they are also out of compliance as well.

The reason why I like the city to enforce its um what it already has is not allowing motors.

As you can see there, they're dangerous.

See in Austin with the batteries, they use these lithium phosphate fire uh batteries, they can easily catch fires.

Your time has one in Austin uh destroyed 20 percent of them.

Another problem with these motors is they allow for these bigger because they're not actually pedaling like they're supposed to be doing, and they're not pedal assist.

They allow for them to use these six seater motors, um six city or bikes, which are a lot bigger, and then these motors allow them to go 30 to 40.

We have a question or comment.

One second.

Council uh mayor pro cam.

Uh Eric, thank you for coming.

I know that um you have been talking about the whole petty cab industry.

This is is um how you how you are making your living.

My question is for the city attorney.

Um do we give permits to petty cabs that have motors.

That question I do not have an answer for council member.

There would be probably an ARA question I can find out for you, but I don't know off the top of my head.

I can answer that real quick.

So when you go do your um inspection with ARA, you can inspect it for as uh like I am, no motor out.

So there's no check to make sure that one you have a functional motor that your battery's safe, none of that's happened.

They just put it on after.

And so the city doesn't have that in there.

Now the city wants to have it, which again I would uh advise not to, but the city doesn't care and still will allow them to have the electric motors.

I do have suggestions on how to do it, which is on the paper, which is um in Austin, which does have motors, the actual um uh regulators out there, they will uh be out there and they actually have radar guns on us to make sure that you don't go over 15 miles per hour.

Um, as well as in San Antonio, which does have motors, they have to have fire extinguishers on the cabs because again those things can't catch fires really easily.

So those are some suggestions, and the other one was also be if they're gonna have motors, they have to be the mid-drive.

Those are the ones that actually will allow pedal assists.

They have the rear ones or the front hub, it's not pedal cysts.

Petal assist means that you go exactly what you can do pedaling.

That doesn't mean you can go 30, 40 miles per hour.

That's like saying that my truck is uh uh uh being assisted by me.

It's obviously doing the whole thing.

So um uh, but yeah, they do not get inspected when they do it.

So what you're saying is people go and get their ARA permit and then they put the motor on the room.

They put it on out there.

So we need the enforcement if we are not going to allow motors on the on the pedicabs.

Are you against motors on pedicabs?

I'm against it because of as I have lists on here.

One, it's dangerous.

What I would like for y'all to do this Friday, there's gonna be the Astros versus the Rangers.

If some of y'all come during the 9 30 to 10, 10 o'clock when it comes out, I would just like y'all to stand on Texas Street and just watch.

Just watch the uh how they operate, see how fast they go when people are being let out, how many people there are.

See how uh fast those things are traveling.

Yes, they're some of these people have hit uh uh people such as uh over at Beline Stadium, and then they run off and all.

So I'm against that for it's dangerous.

Uh it promotes uh criminal behavior.

There was an incident apparently happened in 2025 at the rodeo.

This idiot from Chicago came down.

It was at um Kirby and um uh um McNey.

You're not supposed to we know that we're not supposed to c cross over into Kirby, but this guy he had uh people on his cab.

He was told by the constable not to do it, but because he had a motor, he kept doing it.

And apparently he this is what he related to another pedicab because he was proud of it.

The constable told him not to do it, came back, he did it again, and then um the constable was gonna arrest them or whatever, and then he just took off because he couldn't.

He got a motor.

Because he had a motor.

Okay, I get it.

Um I do think that we need to have some conversation with ARA.

Um, I know that um people were concerned that we had a lot of unpermitted c pedicabs, and then we put out some additional enforcement to try to make sure that all the pedicabs had their permits.

So it looks like now we got an additional issue that we need to deal with.

We need to determine if we're allowing motors or not allowing motors, and then figure out how we enforce that.

So thank you for bringing this to our attention.

We'll circle back with ARA on this issue.

Um, not sure which committee this could potentially go to, or at least just have that conversation with ARA about the enforcement of uh the pedicabs with motors.

Yes, thank you, thank you.

Thank you for coming um today to talk about this.

Councilmember Flickinger and I have actually been working on um the issue of motorized bikes in general in the city of Houston because they've become very dangerous, and so um, and many of them are not allowed by the state of Texas.

So we've been working on how to kind of crack down on that in general.

So to hear that you know it may be on the petty cabs, and um certain ones may not be even allowed by the state of Texas.

I do want to work with Mayor Pro Tem Cast X Hedom to see what we need to do about that because you're right, they can be very dangerous as we've seen with just the regular motorized bikes.

So we'll work with you on that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next Scotty Joseph, Amina Isha.

Katie O'Shea to be followed by Arco Barman.

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Katie O'Shea, and I'm here on behalf of Houston Energy and Climate Week and a nonprofit Allies and Energy.

We offer our deepest consult condolences to the family of Mr.

Sodalgo Arajo, and we stand with this community tonight.

We hold in our thoughts, those still being held in custody.

Out of respect, we will defer our comments regarding Houston Energy and Climate Week to a later date, and we can send comments through to the council.

Good afternoon.

I'm Dr.

Arko Barman.

I'm an associate professor of statistics at Rice University.

I'm here to demand that the Houston City Council terminate its contract with Flock Safety and other similar systems.

More than 53 municipalities across the across the U.S.

have already cut ties with flock, and Houston should be next.

I have 14 years of research experience building these systems, and I know they are not reliable enough for real world use.

Between 2019 and 2024, Flock operated without a private investigator license in Texas.

Then between October and December 2025, Flock continued operating illegally in the state of Texas.

We deserve better.

City of Houston residents should not accept a surveillance system that's wrong one out of three times, run by a company that broke state law for over half a decade.

And this cost the city six point four million dollars over five years, while essential services like HFD languages.

There are ten short fire stations, no new trucks, no new crews, and HFD runs short of 65 ambulances.

6.4 million dollars can be spent on building a new fire station and 10 ambulances for a year.

This isn't a hard choice.

The city of Houston must terminate the floor contract and redistribute to useful funds.

Thank you, Mayor.

I like to make a motion to suspend the rules to add Lakeisha Lloyd to the bottom of the once three minute now one minute agenda list.

Very good.

Motion made in second.

All in favor say yes, those opposed.

Next speaker.

Robert Labale.

Christopher Davis of Spring.

Larry Anthony.

Christopher Graham.

Caleb Korowski.

Philippe Woods of Spring.

To be followed by Brian Lisco of Sugar Lane.

I had a whole speech written out, but I'd rather just scrap it and only keep the ones that I needed to say.

This is ridiculous.

All right.

Here we are after two weeks since Lorenzo Mazalgado Arajo was murdered in this in our streets.

We still do not know who the names of the ICE agents that that pulled the trigger.

And here we are, two weeks later, again coming here to get you guys to be courageous and not act like a bunch of cowards.

Who could provide extensive testimony on what of what happened your time had been thank you?

Brian Lisko of Sugarland.

To be followed by Susanna Duran.

Hi guys.

Good to see you again.

I've set myself a three-minute timer here.

So uh seems like you guys' hands were kind of glued to your desks or something before.

Let's try again, huh?

So we know that this murder was just the latest episode in a centuries-long project of clearing out this land of people that look like him for people that look like me.

And I think anyone who claims to know better than the Nazi, the white supremacist, the colonizer, the slaver, should say that this is pretty easily unacceptable.

So we know better is the question.

And uh so let's go around the room, huh?

Would you like to start, Mr.

Mayor?

Do you know better than a Nazi?

Your time has expired.

Thank you.

I've got uh I've got uh one minute and forty-five seconds left.

Uh do you know better than a Nazi?

Sir, we're at a one-minute rule.

Complete your comments.

Let's all let's all take the question.

Let's all raise our hands.

These are my comments.

And and if you don't raise your hand, I'm going to call you a Nazi.

What are we talking about?

Let's raise our hand.

Everybody who everybody who knows better than a Nazi, raise your hand.

Thank you, sir.

You're excused.

I've got I've got one minute and fifteen seconds left.

Everybody who knows better than a white supremacist, raise your hand.

Wrap it up, sir.

Come on, man.

Mr.

Flickinger, Panzarella, Tarsha.

Hey.

You what's going on?

Sir, thank you.

Your time's up.

Where's your hand at?

Next.

Do you know better than a white supremacist?

Susanna Duran.

Do you do you disagree?

Where the stand?

This is all stuff.

My name is Hosanna Luran.

I'm a resident of District J.

I live in Sharpstown.

And I initially wanted to appeal to faith, righteousness, and reasonableness, but I witnessed a particularly cruel and callous line of questioning during a prop A committee meeting earlier today.

That was just absolutely bereft of compassion and really any foundation of economics knowledge, but um blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

What happens when HPD calls ICE again?

And the ICE agent that comes is like the one that killed Lorenzo.

What happens when we have asked you to end the HPD and ICE collaboration, and only two uh council members right here before me had the spine and the reasonableness to do the right thing and push forth an ordinance.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council members Pollard and Salinas.

Um, and uh previously came in who also supported that.

What happens then?

Uh I I have this ringing in my head for the past three weeks that when we were trying to support that ordinance, I kept hearing from the mayor and certain council members.

Well, this isn't Minneapolis.

You're gonna be now what happens when HBD calls another rogue killer ice agent.

That's on your hands.

Brianna Aravallo of Richmond.

To be followed by Sandra Edwards.

Hello, my name is Brianna Arevalo.

I am an elementary school teacher in HISD at a school in Sharpstown with over 85% emergent bilinguals.

Every day teachers across Houston are challenged to engage students in their learning within a world in which they feel confused, insecure in their living conditions, and at times incredibly unsafe.

Absences, withdrawals, and decreasing enrollments are on the rise.

This has put both a strain on our city's children's education and led to the elimination of several teaching positions to accommodate higher classroom ratios.

Students are disrupting and opting out of classes.

Families are fleeing our city due to fear, violence, and fatality.

You all have failed to prevent on our streets.

I wish to remind you that we are up to our necks in a crisis of deep-seated apathy in our society.

Not only are children struggling to care about their learning, their health, and their future, not only are U.S.

citizens struggling to care about political issues in a system that makes them feel powerless.

You all the members of the council sitting before me are struggling to care and take action.

That thousands across our city are facing racial profiling, state-sanctioned violence and brutality and violations to their human constitutional rights to due process for years.

Thank you.

Please, we demand the release of all the witnesses to Lorenzo Salgado's murder from ICE detention, the release of the names of the ICE officers that killed him, a complete cessation to HPD's collaboration with ICE, and that you take a stand against those in the state government that have opposed your prior efforts to address these issues.

Thank you.

My students, my family, on all immigrants need you.

They deserve safety, peace of mind, and the ability to thrive in our great city.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Sandra Edwards.

To be follow followed by Carolina Martinez.

Good evening, Council.

We warned you about this.

We came to these chambers month after month, session after session.

We told you about ICE's history of violent behavior, provided countless stories and examples of federal agents brutalizing and even killing people.

We told you that ICE's presence in our city is a danger to its inhabitants.

We asked you to do something to protect us from this threat to our safety.

You had a chance to do something in April.

Instead, you coward and caved to the pressure from the state.

Now, Lorenzo Salgado Arau's blood is on the streets you govern.

And it is not just on the streets you govern, it is on your hands.

I stood next to this.

I want every single one of you to look at this.

Take it in.

Thank you.

Nick.

Carolina Martinez.

Good evening, City Council.

Month after month, after we've visited my city council.

Are you?

Are you Carolina Martinez?

I'll be speaking on her behalf, ma'am.

So you are not Carolina Martinez.

I was I could may I speak on her behalf?

Well, this is reported.

Why did you report that?

We just need this name for the remote.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Okay.

I got it.

I got it.

Don't worry about it.

My name is Adam Loriano Bowie.

Okay.

Months after months, visiting city council and watching each and every one of your faces stare at me in apathy regarding over the words I say.

I witnessed one of the worst things that I ever have witnessed in the city of Houston.

Whitmire.

You offer nothing but words of platitude and empty gestures to the son of the man that was murdered on our very streets.

Even now, you stare at me with such empty eyes just as much as the rest of the city council does, because as much as I hate to admit it, I am very much unconvinced that you are unwilling to do anything about this murder and to seek justice for Lorenzo Araujo.

Nothing I've seen in the months that I have I've read, nothing I've seen in the months that I've come here to visit and speak with you on City Council has suggested to me that you do anything about ICE in our city.

So instead, I'm going to turn that to our people.

I believe in the city of Houston and I believe in its goodness.

Not because I see a bunch of politicians stare at me with hateful and tired eyes, but because I believe that we can be there for each other in this in this hard time.

Outside of the people that sit here.

Thank you.

Do you want to believe these people, people?

Angel Leal.

Bentley Gilchrist.

To be followed by Aileen Zacharias.

Hello, City Council.

My name is Bentley Gilchrist.

I'm a student at the University of Houston, where I study to get a certification in teaching math from grade seven through twelve.

That's why it horrifies me to see students of this city be kidnapped off our streets by ICE agents.

That's why it horrifies me to see Ronaldo Salgado, a UH alumni and a teacher, someone I very much aspire to be, recount the horror of searching through the East Inn at 7 a.m.

in the morning, not knowing if his dad was alive or dead.

In all this horror, when I look to City Council, I see timidness.

I see half measures.

I see a refusal to dig your feet in and fight the terror that ICE brings upon our communities.

John Whitmire, Mr.

Whitmire, you talk about how you admire the courage of Ronado.

Where is your own?

You talk about how you admire his strength to come up to City Council.

Where's your strength to stop HPD from collaborating with ICE?

To stop ICE from coming into our city to make more Lorenzo Salgados.

You've said time and time again that there is simply nothing you can do.

This is wrong.

I'm a um problem-oriented person, so let me give you some solutions.

Firstly, publicly call as the city of Houston to release three.

Now two individuals in ICE detention.

Two, uh repeal the Abbott Amendment, and when he comes back, fight him in the court.

Three, stop spending 6.4 million dollars of our taxpayer money to install surveillance cameras across this city.

Tear them down.

Every day you are in here.

You stare at this trial.

The people are the city.

So why won't you protect the people?

Aileen Zacharias.

To be followed by Ricky Sanchez.

Hello.

My name's Aline from Katie, Texas.

I'm a member.

Oh, okay, cool.

Hi, my name's Aline.

I'm from Katie, Texas.

Um, I'm a member of Houston, DSA.

I just wanted to share a testimony from um an immigrant that we came into um interviewing with.

They said, Los inigrantes no son criminales, estamos luchando.

Nadie's persona mala.

Este ganan comida estamos luchando.

And to translate the rest in English.

The government is not protecting us.

It's not fair.

Um, and also to add, I've been to local flea markets lately, um, where the community is just quite frankly very afraid at this time.

Um, and I just ask everyone here, please, as everyone has mentioned before me very bravely, um, to please pull their part um in ending HPD cooperation with ICE so that our community members can feel safe, specifically immigrants and black and bow people.

Um, I asked that you guys please um allow the restoration of Council Member Selena's ordinance and full transparency as well.

And then I also ask that we release um Victor Jose and Daniel.

Thank you.

My name is Ricky Sanchez, and I'm a Houstonian born and raised, and I'm a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

I need to mention that before I came up here, I was told I couldn't bring my Palestine scarf upstairs because it was considered a banner, so I'm a little heated right now.

It's a cruel irony considering the documented deadly exchange of tactics and technology between the Zionist occupation forces and ICE agents, tester to the genocide and oppression of the Palestinian people, free Palestine and the abolition of Ice are two sides of the same coin.

There's a lot of righteous theory in this rule, and comparisons have been made between ICE Nazis to stop our fascism, but that's not inaccurate, but we don't need to go overseas for a historical analogy.

We can look at the long dark history of the US and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the history of the slaver, the slave catcher for the 14th Amendment.

Black slaves were not considered citizens, they were considered the property of the slave owner.

If you had to carry papers to show you free, or you are authorized to travel, or you were undocumented and subject to arrest and punishment.

Does that sound familiar to anyone here?

This was a brutal federal enforcement regime that deputized local officials and forced them to deploy it, regardless of slavery was legal in the state.

But this act and the system was not defended by compliance and collaboration.

It was defended, it was defeated by black Americans, abolitionists organizing vigilance committees, vowing to defend black residents regardless of what the legal regime dictated.

To quote President Sanchez fire, Mr.

Sanchez.

We will now vote no fugitive slaves to be taken from Massachusetts.

That's the kind of energy we need right now in this city.

That's the energy we need from our elected officials.

Stand up for something.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Next speaker.

Sergio Valverde.

Sergio Valverde.

To be followed by Samantha Farley.

We might be here to speakers, please.

All right, check.

I am Santiago Verde.

I'm a Chicago filmmaker here in Houston, and I've lived here all my life.

Um I am older than ICE is and sometime in the mid-2000s, Mia Willa, Gilescons Buzz came to this country with my Dio Meme to provide him with proper cancy cancer treatment.

And it was only out of the kindness of a complete stranger that they were able to get to the hospital.

And I think about that stranger all the time, and I feel that same kindness and that same love within the communities that Houston has.

The East End is the most beautiful place.

And to witness Lord Enzo Salvador Oraco's murder, to witness the inaction, to witness the collective grief has broken my heart time and time again.

And it is only because of the community that one of the people who were also detained with freedom.

We demand an end of HPD and ICE collaboration.

We demand a call to abolish ice.

And that's the bare minimum.

Thank you, Mr.

Valverde.

Next speaker.

Samantha Farley.

Samantha Farley.

To be followed by Maximiliano Diaz.

Testing.

Can you can you all hear me?

Yes, we can hear you.

Awesome.

Council members.

You all have families, congregations, and communities that you serve.

I urge you today when you hear the pleas of those around you, that you see that this is also the pleas of a family, a community, and a city that is mourning.

If you love black black and brown people, it could have been one of your loved ones that was murdered.

You have a duty as the voice of your people to advocate for our wishes.

This is a chance to show your district, your city, your community, that you don't bend to state interference, that you can follow the leads of other sanctuary cities, that you take the time not just to listen, but to understand what your constituents are saying.

If you see the value in your position, then you must acknowledge that it is in your power to call for the end of HPD collaboration with ICE.

End HPD collaboration with ICE now.

Prosecute the officers who murdered Lorenzo.

Release the witnesses to Lorenzo's death.

Make sure this doesn't happen again.

Anything else is a disgrace to the people of Houston.

Next speaker.

Hello, I'm translating this.

It's written in Spanish.

Uh I'm not in agreement with what's happening.

This is a it's a kidnapping.

It's what happens in other places.

The children are afraid.

They're being mistreated, and innocent people are being attacked just for their appearance.

Their their workers.

And another message here.

I demand a release of Victor, David, and Joseph.

I don't like how ICE treats Hispanics.

Now, like what's been happening has been really horrible.

Um it's just been a tra uh travesty, but a lot of like a lot of what's happened, like there are a lot of things that happened before this, even before the murder of um Mr.

Arajo, that just kind of made it easier for these things to happen.

Like just how much has been given to I like HPD and for like surveillance to setting up this infrastructure for them to be able to do anything as you got public services in some of these very communities.

Like Mayor, even when talking about things like transit, Mirror Whitmeyer has said some very racist things about Golfden residents.

And it's just been very pathetic.

It's been um Thank you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Haley Snyder.

Hey, Haley Snyder.

To be followed by Daniel Gamayas.

Hello, my name is Haley, and I'm representing socialist alternative.

Today I'm speaking to the people here who actually matter.

Our community.

We are fighting for our friends, co-workers, and loved ones who are targeted, murdered, assaulted.

We need elected officials and movement leaders who will fight to ensure our community's well-being by funding HISD, maybe instead of ICE.

Like a fellow speaker was trying to say before he was unjustly removed.

When we look at history, we find that what is happening to immigrant communities today comes from the same policies used to commit genocide against indigenous nations.

The murder, brutal removal of peoples from their homes, their detention, and separation from family.

Does that sound familiar?

Our representative supports this by doing nothing, but we, the working people in Houston, will not carry on that legacy.

We must organize a massive coalition to shut Houston down so those who say their hands are tied will listen to us because what they're motivated by is not helping us.

We put them into office, but their pocketbooks.

And by the way, we will get ice out of Houston.

We will get ice out of Texas, and we are going to get ice out of everywhere.

Good evening.

Absolutely disgraceful and not befitting with someone that calls themselves a leader.

I would like to remind you of some of our history.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

ICE is the antithesis, antithesis of what our indep a declaration of independence was written for.

Another definition that I like to give you is straight from the DOD.

The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculc inculcate fear intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.

Do any of you know what that is from?

That is the DOD definition of terrorism, of terrorists.

ICE is a paramilitary terrorist group that is running rampant in our streets, killing civilians and citizens alike.

Your time has expired.

Thank you for your time.

Haley Rogers.

To be followed by Lakeisha Lord.

Firstly, thank you, Councilwoman Salinas, for your leadership and putting me on the docket.

I appreciate it.

Hello, my name is Haley Rogers.

I am a new resident of District G.

Hi, Mary Ann.

Um, but before I uh lived in District G, I um lived in Mission Bend, a Leaf district.

I've lived there, I have a lifelong resident, and uh my community is like the East community.

Um, it is multicultural, it is diverse, and um it is the target of ice.

And um, our community is scared because of Lorenzo's murder.

My family, my friends, the people who I think are my family as well, are scared to go outside.

They're scared to leave their homes.

And I'd like to read a statement from a community member named Jose in Mission Bend.

Jose says, I'm worried.

What happened was sad.

I can only imagine the family feels horrible.

I hope the mayor makes a change and helps protect the immigrants that agents are acting too forceful.

They need to identify themselves.

I'm worried.

We don't know if ICE or if it's ICE or some random person pulls us over.

What happened to Lorenzo can happen at any point again.

I urge this entire council to use your platform and your city leverage to call a press conference to release Victor Salvado and his worker, Daniel Panto Has.

Thank you.

You miss Lowell.

Go ahead.

Good evening, everyone.

Uh, really quick before I make my statements.

I am a United States Army veteran.

I have sacrificed my mind, my body for this country, and I would appreciate it if I could have your undivided attention for my sacrifice.

My name is Lakeisha Lloyd.

I'm a resident in Spring.

I live literally right on the border of the Sisti uh Houston City limits.

And I'm like I said, I'm a United States Army veteran, and I'm a national director with Common Defense, a veterans advocacy organization.

You've heard from some of my veterans this evening.

This is why I'm here today.

Lorenz Algado was a husband, a father, and a 35-year resident of this community.

And he was on his way to work and should have made it home.

There's no reason why that man shouldn't have made it home.

He was not the target.

Veterans know that courage is only found, it's not only found on the battlefield.

Sometimes courage means standing right here in City Hall in front of you fine folks and telling the truth.

And sometimes it means using our voices to ensure that those with power hear the people they were elected to serve.

We are calling on you, Mayor Whitmeyer.

I would like it if you looked at me, sir.

Thank you.

Um to take meaningful action by supporting an independent local investigation, demanding transparency from every agency involved, and standing with Lorenzo's family.

I did not fight and watch my comrades fall on the battlefield.

To have to sit here and have my son, who is 15 years old, watch his schoolmates afraid to come to school.

I did not fight and sacrifice my life and my veterans' lives for this right here.

If we can be held accountable in the United States military under the UCMJ for the exact same actions, if we had took this, we'd be under Leavenworth.

Now I don't know what y'all call patriots.

But I'm a patriot.

I'm having to watch my military gear on a lawless unit, terrorizing our streets.

Do something about this.

Or we will see you in November.

Next.

Noel Freeman.

To be followed by Audrey Nav.

Good evening.

In the Houston Public Works Strategic Plan, there are six core values.

The very first core value is responsiveness.

We will respond timely with care and commitment.

It's been six weeks since I raised my issues about 1002 West 11th public works.

And I haven't even had anyone, not one single person, acknowledge that I contacted the department.

Everything goes through Councilmember Alcorn's office or Councilmember Panzarella's office.

They'll talk to you folks all day long, but they will not talk to a citizen of the city of Houston who has an issue with a problem they helped create.

Now, I want to give credit where it's due.

I reported illegal dumping of food trash on my fence line by this restaurant.

Solid waste resolved that issue in 16 hours.

To ARA's credit, they contacted me 30 minutes after I spoke here two weeks ago, and the health department called me this afternoon about an issue with used cooking oil being stored along my fence line.

Mayor Whitmeyer, I will reiterate the ask that I had two weeks ago.

Please compel public works to force a resolution of this issue.

I can't even get hey.

We got your email.

We'll look into it.

Not even that.

Your time has expired.

Thank you all.

Give uh Rebecca Williams your information.

Thank you.

Audrey Nav.

Danny Hernandez.

Neil Colbert.

Maurice Bale.

Jacob Clementich.

To be followed by Jay Boostos.

Hi Mary.

And then written you heard a lot of complaining and some of it is your very much just but.

But then I bring you two gifts.

I had autographed by Dynamo players and they uh usually autographed by topic player for day, namely me.

Yeah, you right there.

You said is Jacob K.

And uh, well, uh, and then right um uh um I mean uh the short as I can tell for my mother telling to me about my father who is an immigrant.

Yeah, I mean uh I'll fall for uh I mean this is this was Gestapo.

Thank you, Jacob.

Jay Boostos, to be followed by Anthony Hubbard.

Hello, everyone.

You're a friendly neighborhood Houstonian.

I must say I find it appalling and bewildering with the lack of action and voices of this council for fighting for this city and its residents, all residents.

Lorenzo was murdered July 7th, three weeks since he hit uh his passing, and nothing has been done.

Even though the obviousness of what is should already be done of cutting all ties with ice, despite also y'all saying uh y'all do not have the ability to do anything, y'all do.

Y'all can do a bunch of different steps.

Here's the list I could say.

One, of course, the top of the list, get justice for Lorenzo, release those witnesses, two, cut the contracts with Flock.

Next, and non-safety traffic stops.

That's assisting ICE with all this.

And last or next, publicly be more vocal about ICE.

They're inhumane, they're an inhumane message of the city.

They're committing illegal acts, kidnapping and murdering people.

And I ask again, how much pain and apparent blood is needed for y'all to y'all actually get up and do something.

Anthony Hubbard.

To be followed by Cameron Waterson.

How much pain, how much blood?

Mary Whitmeyer, today you promise calls for reform to Ronaldo.

I sincerely hope that you follow through on that promise.

But truth be told, public trust is all-time low.

It has been three weeks and nothing has been done.

Mayor, you can extend empathy to the family.

But true empathy would mean no one else.

No one else should have to feel that pain.

Not one more Eastonian.

And how can we expect that?

It's been three weeks and nothing has happened.

Any three of y'all could sign a prop A ordinance to put forth to council.

Y'all have had three weeks.

Mayor, sincerely hope that you follow through on that promise and you call for reform.

Since our last two council meetings, I watched our city representatives try to repair their egos from what Houston has said.

So, Mr.

Mayor, let me speak within the decorum of a legislative session and the council.

Your policymaking has shown that you are too politically inept to handle city policy or public safety.

Your abysmal fiscal shortfalls and failures show you are more than just morally bankrupt, but that you truly do not care.

And for those of our council who say that let's make sure to go and vote and do more than protest, suggesting that we can vote the problem away.

This statement was not only tone deaf, but it was politically ignorant to history itself.

These protesters are more than your labels.

They are organizers, workers, parents, Houstonians.

We organize food drives for those you leave in food deserts to starve.

We organize school and clothing drives for those you won't clothe or educate.

We organize know your rights out le outreach for the communities you have left to die.

And we did all this while being registered to vote.

A vote will not bring back a father to his children or lift the weight of death off of our city.

We have votes but you have HPD the treasury public works and the ability for city ordinance to prevent violence.

We call for the names of the murderers released and to be prosecuted.

We call for all passengers to be freed we call for an independent investigation and ending of all collaboration with ISIN CPD or HPD.

And again you have a chance this is a test TPS is now revoked.

So what are we going to do at Houston to prevent a second class of citizens in our country?

And what are we going to do to prevent another Houstonian off our streets by death?

And how do we save another father from being killed making sure that they go home to their kids so please reflect on this guys.

Very important thank you.

We stand resist the nine in the morning.