A 28-year-old Venezuelan man was shot in the abdomen by an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Austin, Texas, prompting local officials and residents to demand a detailed account and an independent investigation.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was taken to a hospital after the shooting. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, said he was still “screaming in pain” while calling his wife from the hospital. She also said Garces Perez was in ICE custody at the time of the incident.
The shooting occurred shortly before 1 p.m. local time on Sunday. Public details remain limited. Austin police confirmed that the injured man had been transported to a hospital and said no Austin police officer was involved in the shooting. Local officials have not said whether Garces Perez was the intended target of the ICE operation.
Austin mayor calls for a full account
Dozens of demonstrators gathered near the scene after the shooting. Some waved Mexican and Guatemalan flags, while others carried signs calling for ICE to leave Austin. The front passenger door of a blue Toyota Corolla near the scene was damaged, and ICE agents were seen working beside the vehicle.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said at a media briefing on Sunday that residents had a right to know how the incident occurred and to feel safe in their own city. He said the city would take part in the investigation and that the public should be given the facts.
Watson also said ICE activity in Austin had increased significantly in recent weeks. The mayor and local police have both called for an independent investigation. Federal authorities have not yet released a complete account of the shooting, identified the agent involved or disclosed available footage from the scene.
Congressman seeks body-camera footage
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat, called for an immediate and comprehensive independent investigation. He also demanded the release of body-camera footage from the personnel involved, saying that ICE agents should be held accountable if they violated the law.
The Austin shooting comes as ICE has faced scrutiny over several enforcement operations involving gunfire in recent months. Earlier this year, Houston resident Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot during an ICE traffic stop. The Department of Homeland Security said at the time that Salgado Araujo was not the target of the ICE investigation, but was shot during the operation.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department charged an ICE agent with making false statements in connection with the nonfatal shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in Minnesota. Criminal charges against federal law-enforcement personnel for alleged misconduct while carrying out official duties are relatively uncommon.
Expanded immigration enforcement under scrutiny
The Trump administration has expanded immigration enforcement and arrest operations during its second term, contributing to protests and clashes in several U.S. cities. The administration has defended its policies and ICE’s enforcement methods, saying they serve public-safety objectives and support its policy of carrying out large-scale deportations.
Civil-rights groups argue that the operations may affect freedom of speech and due-process rights. Democrats have called for changes to ICE enforcement practices, including requirements that immigration officers wear body cameras and a ban on officers covering their faces during operations.
Earlier this month, Florida Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar released an advertisement criticizing the targeting and detention of people with no criminal records. In a television interview on Sunday, she said she had spoken with the president and believed he would continue governing the country in the right direction.
Federal authorities have not said whether Garces Perez was the target of the Austin operation or whether the agent involved was using a body camera. Residents and officials are now focused on his condition, the precise sequence of events and whether an independent investigation will obtain complete evidence from the scene.