Key facts
- An ICE agent shot Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national, in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.
- Garcés Pérez was reportedly shot once in the back between his shoulder blades.
- The incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. as Garcés Pérez was delivering a DoorDash order.
- Video appears to show an ICE officer firing three shots at Garcés Pérez's car.
- Garcés Pérez's lawyer stated he had been ordered removed from the U.S. and had lived in the U.S. for two years.
- Protesters gathered at the scene, with some reporting being sprayed with teargas or chemical spray.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and wounded Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national, in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. The incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. as Garcés Pérez was reportedly delivering a DoorDash order. Video posted online appears to show an ICE officer firing three shots at Garcés Pérez's car, which was later seen with a large dent on the front passenger side. Garcés Pérez, who was hit once in the back, had been ordered removed from the U.S. and had lived in the country for two years, according to his lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch.
Austin police officers arrived at the scene and rendered aid to Garcés Pérez before he was taken to a hospital. However, ICE later transferred him to the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, where his lawyer noted he had not received pain medication for the bullet still lodged in his back.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, has not responded to questions about the shooting's circumstances, Garcés Pérez's whereabouts, or his condition. Austin's Democratic mayor, Kirk Watson, expressed anger and frustration over the incident, stating he was not surprised given ICE's current operations.
DHS stated that Garcés Pérez was in stable condition and in federal custody pending removal, and that DHS and the FBI were leading the investigation. However, Austin leaders have called for the Austin police and Texas Rangers to assist, citing public distrust in DHS, and have demanded the agent involved remain in Texas during the investigation.
Witnesses Nedavia Bolaños and her husband, owners of a nearby ice cream shop, reported hearing the shots and seeing an ICE agent who did not render aid. They provided video footage to The Guardian showing Austin police arriving later to assist Garcés Pérez before he was transported by ambulance.
Following the shooting, over a hundred protesters gathered at the scene, some reporting being sprayed with teargas or chemical spray. The protest grew and resulted in several arrests. The shooting occurs amid an increase in immigration enforcement actions in Austin and surrounding areas, with ICE reportedly acting more unilaterally rather than relying on state troopers for stops.