ICE officer shot 28‑year‑old Venezuelan Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. The officer fired a single round that struck the man's torso, and he was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition.
Garcés Pérez had arrived from Venezuela approximately two years earlier and was working as a DoorDash driver when the encounter with ICE agents occurred. DHS said he had entered the United States illegally under the Biden administration and was subject to a final removal order.
Austin police were not involved in the operation, but first responders arrived after the shooting and provided aid. Dozens of demonstrators, many carrying Mexican and Guatemalan flags, gathered near the scene and demanded that ICE leave the city. Texas Congressman Greg Casar called for a full and immediate investigation and demanded the release of body‑camera footage. Mayor Kirk Watson urged transparency and city involvement in the probe.
The incident arrives amid heightened scrutiny of ICE operations nationwide after several other shootings involving immigration agents. The Trump administration has defended its expanded enforcement campaign as necessary for public safety and for fulfilling its promise of increased deportations.
DHS has launched an investigation into the shooting, with Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI taking the lead. The city is demanding transparency, and Congress is seeking body‑camera footage.