A Venezuelan illegal immigrant, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, was shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a traffic stop in Austin on Sunday. After being treated at a local hospital, he was released and transferred to the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, about 130 miles southwest of Austin, where he remains detained with a bullet still lodged in his back.
Details of the incident
According to Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz, spokesperson for immigration attorney Kate Lincoln‑Goldfinch, Perez called his wife around 12:30 p.m. Sunday to report the shooting. He later told his attorney that he was being interrogated at the detention facility and had not received any pain medication.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has provided limited information and has not disclosed what prompted the officer to fire. In a brief statement, the department said it is investigating the shooting of a Venezuelan man in the United States who “had a final order of removal.”
Legal and community response
Lincoln‑Goldfinch’s office used legal databases to locate Perez after ICE failed to confirm his whereabouts. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said local police were not involved in the shooting, which occurred following the traffic stop. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, called for local police to assist in the investigation, stating that it would not be appropriate for ICE to conduct the inquiry alone.
About 100 anti‑ICE protesters gathered Sunday after the shooting, reflecting ongoing community concern over immigration enforcement tactics.
Broader context
The incident comes amid a surge in ICE enforcement during President Trump’s second term, with the agency reporting more than 50,000 arrests in July and August—a record high. Federal officers have been involved in at least four fatal shootings during immigration operations this year.
Critics argue the use of force was unwarranted, especially since Perez entered the United States through a parole program and has no criminal history. Ruiz emphasized that, “Regardless of his status, the use of force was unwarranted,” and noted that, “As far as we understand, he was here legally.”
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
