ICE Agent Shoots Venezuelan Driver After Collision in Austin

Overview

• An ICE vehicle collided with a parked Toyota Corolla in Austin and an agent fired multiple rounds at the car’s occupant during the encounter on Sunday, according to local members of Congress and witnesses.
• The wounded man has been identified as 28‑year‑old Venezuelan Wilber Rafael Garces Perez; he was hospitalized with a bullet lodged in his back, released the same day, and then taken to the Pearsall ICE detention center in South Texas.
• The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, opened an investigation and said the man had a final order of deportation while his lawyer’s office says he had sought asylum and was legally present.
• Austin police say they were not involved in the operation and local officials including Representatives Greg Casar and Mike Siegel have demanded immediate release of body‑camera footage and an independent probe; about 100 protesters gathered at the scene.
• The shooting adds to growing scrutiny of ICE after several recent agent‑involved shootings and record enforcement activity this summer, raising questions about use of force, custodial medical care and federal oversight.