Officials in Austin, the capital of Texas, stated that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) opened fire after stopping a vehicle on the 20th, critically injuring a Venezuelan man; the man was hospitalized but is fortunately in stable condition. A crowd gathered at the scene to protest immediately after the incident. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has called on ICE to allow the Austin Police Department and the Texas Rangers to participate in the investigation to properly clarify the facts.
According to various reports, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis stated that the incident occurred shortly before 1:00 p.m. on the 20th; after stopping the vehicle, ICE agents briefly pursued the man and fired, striking him in the torso.
CNN reported that immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch confirmed the injured man is 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a driver for the delivery platform DoorDash; she has been retained by Perez’s family to handle the case.
Citing hospital counsel, Lincoln-Goldfinch told CNN that once Perez is discharged, “we believe he will be taken into ICE custody.”
CNN, citing law enforcement sources, reported that Perez is an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela who is subject to a final order of deportation.
Lincoln-Goldfinch stated that Perez’s wife was unaware of the deportation order and believed her husband was in the process of handling his immigration paperwork. The attorney issued a statement noting, “Our information indicates that Perez originally entered the U.S. legally and held a work permit.”
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson expressed a desire for the Austin Police Department to participate in the investigation and invited the Texas Rangers to join as well; he argued that it is “inappropriate” for ICE to conduct the investigation alone while excluding other agencies.
Watson and Democratic Representative Greg Casar pointed out that the number of ICE detentions in Austin has recently increased. When ICE enforcement operations swept through the area a few weeks ago, Casar and others had warned that ICE needed to withdraw before someone was shot—a warning that has now tragically come true. The Casa office stated that it was unclear whether Perez was a target of this ICE sweep.
Local television news footage showed people gathering across the street that afternoon to protest; a blue Toyota Corolla with damage to the passenger-side door was parked nearby, with several ICE agents standing guard.