Overview of the Texas ICE Shooting Incident
A shocking ICE shooting in Texas has left a 28-year-old Venezuelan delivery worker detained with a bullet lodged near his spine before being rushed back to a hospital.
According to the Associated Press, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was transferred from an ICE detention facility back to a hospital following public outcry and severe medical neglect. Perez was working as a DoorDash delivery driver in Austin when he was shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, stated that unmarked ICE vehicles rammed Perez’s car twice. Perez claimed the agents neither activated emergency lights nor ordered him to stop, and shot him in the back of the neck as he attempted to turn around and park.
Detention With a Bullet and Medical Neglect
Despite being hospitalized initially, doctors were unable to remove the bullet lodged near Perez’s spine. Attorneys stated that ICE pressured the hospital for a swift discharge, placing Perez in the South Texas ICE Detention Facility in Pearsall, roughly 130 miles from Austin, with the bullet still inside his body.
During a telephonic press conference, Perez stated that his condition was worsening and he was denied essential medical care, sleeping on the floor without pain medication before receiving a single pill from a nurse. He was subsequently transported back to the hospital that night.
Growing Controversy Over Federal Immigration Enforcement
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed Perez was in the country illegally with a final removal order, though they did not release specific details regarding the shooting. However, defense attorneys stated Perez legally entered the United States in 2024 via the ‘CBP One’ program, applied for asylum, and held a valid employment authorization document. An in absentia removal order had been issued only because a notice to appear in immigration court was sent to an incorrect previous address.
This incident adds to a troubling series of federal agent shootings during immigration enforcement actions. According to the AP, at least four people have been killed by federal law enforcement officers during immigration operations this year alone. Local civil rights groups, federal lawmakers, and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson have called for an independent investigation and urged Austin Police Department involvement in the case.
