Key facts
- Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, requires surgery to avoid losing feeling on the left side of his body after being shot by ICE.
- Garcés Pérez has been in federal immigration detention since the shooting.
- Congressman Greg Casar visited Garcés Pérez and stated he needs surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his back.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated it provides comprehensive medical care to detainees.
- Austin police and federal agencies are investigating the shooting.
- A federal judge has ordered Garcés Pérez to appear in court next week for a hearing on a habeas corpus petition.
A Venezuelan man shot by federal immigration officers in Austin, Texas, requires surgery to prevent permanent loss of feeling on the left side of his body, according to his supporters. Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, has spent five days in detention with a bullet lodged in his back after being rapidly removed from a hospital by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Congressman Greg Casar, who visited Garcés Pérez, stated that a medical specialist advised surgery to remove the bullet between his shoulder blades. Casar urged ICE to expedite Garcés Pérez's care, a sentiment echoed by his legal team. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE's parent agency, responded on X, asserting that its detainees receive comprehensive medical care and disputing claims that Garcés Pérez slept on the floor.
Disagreements persist over the events surrounding the shooting and the quality of medical treatment. Garcés Pérez's attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, expressed concern about transparency, noting ICE has not provided footage of the incident and that the officer involved may not have been wearing a body camera. Austin police and federal agencies, including the FBI, are investigating.
New evidence from local law enforcement has raised questions about Garcés Pérez's account of the incident. He stated he did not initially realize ICE was attempting to stop him and drove away to a safer spot before an ICE vehicle hit him. Bystander and police-released video appear to show Garcés Pérez stopping about 10 minutes before the shooting, being pulled over by SUVs, and an ICE SUV crashing into his car before a federal officer shot him. Lincoln-Goldfinch stated it is unfair to ask her client, who is gravely injured and on communication lockdown, to explain the events.
A federal judge has ordered Garcés Pérez to appear in court next week for a hearing on a habeas corpus petition seeking his release. The local attorney general has also requested Garcés Pérez remain in the U.S. during the investigation due to his importance as a witness.