ALERT: Protests in Texas Over Venezuelan Shot by ICE Agent

An agent with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Service shot and wounded a Venezuelan delivery driver in Austin, Texas on Sunday. The incident sparked protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, according to city officials who confirmed the incident to CNN.

What is Known About the Shooting of the DoorDash Driver

The shooting victim was identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Pérez, 28, according to immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, who said she represents his family. Garces Pérez was working as a DoorDash delivery driver when he was shot in the torso around 1:00 p.m. Sunday in north Austin.

According to a source familiar with the case, ICE agents were conducting license plate verification operations when they stopped Garces Pérez’s vehicle; he had a deportation order against him. The same source told CNN that the man attempted to flee in his car before the shooting occurred.

A witness, Heidi Clark, was broadcasting live on Facebook when she recorded the moment of the incident. A subsequent video, obtained by ABC News, showed Garces Pérez handcuffed and sitting on the ground with a visible wound on his back.

Among the protesters’ signs read: «Justice for Wilber» | Joel Angel Juarez/AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez

Dispute Over Shooting Victim’s Immigration Status

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated in an official statement that Garces Pérez is an undocumented immigrant with a final deportation order. The agency indicated his condition was stable and he remained in federal custody.

Lincoln-Goldfinch, however, told CNN she could not confirm her client’s immigration status. According to the attorney, Garces Pérez had previously held a valid work permit and, based on available information, entered the country legally.

Garces Pérez’s wife said she was unaware of the deportation order. She believed her husband had an immigration case in progress, according to Lincoln-Goldfinch in a statement.

Current Legal Framework: A final deportation order is issued after a proceeding before the Immigration Case Review Office (EOIR), the administrative court that resolves immigration cases. Even with such an order in place, any use of force by federal agents is subject to constitutional due process protocols and internal policies regarding minimal use of force.

People protest at the location where, according to local authorities, an ICE agent shot and wounded a man in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
Joel Angel Juarez/AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez

A Pattern of Shootings That Concerns Texas Lawmakers

Democratic Representative Greg Casar warned that this is at least the third shooting involving immigration agents in Texas since the beginning of Trump’s second term. «This is a troubling pattern, and it has to stop,» Casar told CNN.

Two months ago, ICE agents shot and killed a Mexican man during a traffic stop in Houston. Earlier this month, two American teenage citizens reported being assaulted by ICE agents in Alamo, Texas.

According to a CNN analysis, at least 20 people were shot by ICE and Border Patrol agents during Trump’s second term, eight of them fatally, before Sunday’s incident.

Women in the crowd embrace as they observe the scene. | Shahrzad Rasekh/REUTERS

Local Authorities Request Independent Investigation

The Travis County District Attorney’s office requested that its office and Austin Police be «equal partners» in the investigation of the case. The statement also requested access to evidence collected by the federal government.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson confirmed that the Texas Rangers and local police will participate in the investigation. «I am disgusted and angry about this, but I am not surprised,» Watson told CNN.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) called on Congress to create independent oversight of ICE. «No agency should be the sole judge of its own conduct,» said Roman Palomares, president of the organization, in a statement.