On Sunday afternoon, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28‑year‑old Venezuelan delivering orders for DoorDash, was shot in the torso by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in North Austin. The incident occurred just before 1 p.m. after ICE officers, conducting targeted immigration enforcement operations, stopped his vehicle based on a license‑plate check.
What happened
According to the driver’s attorney, Kate Lincoln‑Goldfinch, Garces Perez was pulled over, exchanged a brief conversation with the agents, and then attempted to pull over. He says an ICE‑occupied SUV then collided with his car, after which an agent fired, striking him in the back. The shooter later entered his vehicle and forcibly turned it off. Garces Perez was taken to a hospital with a bullet lodged near his spine and has lost movement on the left side of his body, raising concerns of possible paralysis.
Legal and governmental response
Garces Perez’s attorney filed a petition in federal court seeking a stay of his removal and release from custody while the case proceeds. The Travis County District Attorney’s office issued a statement calling for an independent investigation and asked that the Austin Police Department and the district attorney’s office serve as co‑equal partners in the inquiry.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, expressed that Austinites have a right to know what happened and supported the call for a thorough, transparent investigation.
Context of ICE shootings
The shooting adds to a series of incidents involving federal immigration agents in Texas since President Donald Trump began his second term. A CNN analysis notes that at least 20 people have been shot by on‑duty ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents during the Trump administration, eight of them fatally. The Trump administration’s robust immigration enforcement policies have been credited by supporters with protecting communities from illegal entry and crime.
Federal agency statements
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not provided a detailed account of the shooting. DHS indicated that Garces Perez is an undocumented immigrant with a final removal order and that he remains in federal custody pending removal. The agency’s investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations, will lead the investigation with assistance from the FBI.
Impact on the driver
Garces Perez reported severe pain and was transferred to a hospital after spending a night in an ICE processing center in Pearsall, about 100 miles southwest of Austin, where he was held in a cold room without a bed. His attorney says he entered the United States seeking asylum and was protected by a parole program for Venezuelans that the Trump administration ended last year, leading to a removal order issued in his absence.
Community reaction
Local residents and advocacy groups have voiced criticism of ICE’s tactics, while supporters of the administration argue that strong enforcement is necessary to uphold the rule of law and protect American families. The call for an independent investigation reflects a desire for transparency and accountability, regardless of political perspective.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
