Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was working as a delivery driver in North Austin on Sunday when an encounter with federal immigration officers ended in gunfire. An ICE officer shot the 28-year-old Venezuelan national on September 20, leaving him seriously wounded. He was later discharged from the hospital into ICE custody.
The shooting happened near Research Boulevard and Anderson Square during an immigration operation. Reuters reported that a brief foot pursuit preceded the gunfire. Local accounts have also raised questions about a collision involving an ICE vehicle and Perez’s car. Officials have yet to establish publicly the full sequence of events or why the officer fired. Although Perez was shot in the torso, authorities have not confirmed whether the shot entered from the front or back.
His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, disputes federal claims about his immigration status. ICE says Perez entered the country illegally and had a final order of removal; his legal team says he entered through a lawful parole process. His attorneys have also raised concerns about his medical care after he was transferred to a detention facility.
News of the shooting brought protesters to the area, where demonstrators chanted “Abolish ICE” and demanded answers. The gatherings continued into the night, with officers using crowd-control measures as tensions rose. Austin police say they did not take part in the federal operation.
Mayor Kirk Watson has called for Austin police and the Texas Rangers to have a role in investigating the shooting. Federal authorities say Homeland Security Investigations is examining the incident with FBI assistance. For local leaders, the question is whether that process will provide the independence and public accounting needed to establish what happened.
The case lands amid broader scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement after fatal shootings involving U.S. citizens, including Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Their deaths have intensified demands for footage, records and outside review when agents use deadly force. In Austin, those demands now center on Perez, the circumstances of the pursuit and the decision to shoot a man who survived but remains in federal custody.