ICE Shooting of Venezuelan Immigrant in Texas Prompts Protests

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot and wounded a Venezuelan immigrant on Sunday in Austin, Texas. Media outlets across the political spectrum have reported varying details about his immigration status and reported on emerging protests in the city.

The Details: Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was delivering food for DoorDash when he was shot by an ICE agent. Though few details about the shooting have been officially released, New York Times (Lean Left bias) reported that the ICE agent was with other agents checking license plates when they discovered Garces Perez had a deportation on file. The officers pulled him over and told him they were going to arrest him, and he fled in his vehicle. A short chase ensued, with details unclear if Garces Perez was shot while inside his vehicle or if he was on foot. Garces Perez was reportedly not the target of investigation before the encounter with the agents.

Where Is He Now? Garces Perez told The Times that he was transported from the hospital to a detainment center and that doctors did not remove the bullet from his back before he was removed from the hospital. Garces Perez's attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said that the bullet was not removed because it was too close to his spine. She also claimed on X that her client "received no pain medication and had to sleep on the floor."

What Is Garces Perez's Immigration Status? The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that Garces Perez "illegally entered our country under the Biden administration and had a final order of removal." However, his attorney wrote that he has a legal work permit and entered the country through a legal port of entry and has applied for asylum. According to Newsweek (Center) and New York Times, Lincoln-Goldfinch said that Garces Perez had changed his address in immigration court, but his hearing notice was still accidentally sent to the wrong address, resulting in him missing his appointment. She wrote on X, "I see this all the time in my practice and it's a mistake we can easily correct."

Resulting Protests: Fox News (Right) wrote that a "crowd of angry demonstrators" gathered near the scene of the incident and that they "hurl[ed] obscenities and clash[ed] with authorities." According to Fox, videos of the scene showed people "holding up their phones and carrying flags." Fox highlighted perspectives from Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), who demanded "a full, independent investigation and the immediate release of body-camera footage" and called the incident part of a "disturbing pattern" from ICE. Fox also included a reaction from Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who said that "the war is the one being waged against Americans through mass legal & illegal immigration."

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.