Full Breakdown
ICE Shooting of Delivery Driver Sparks Medical, Legal, and Political Fallout
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On Sunday in north-Austin, an ICE officer shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan delivery driver, while he was making a DoorDash order. The officer fired into the back of Perez’s vehicle, striking him near the shoulder blades; a bullet remains lodged close to his spine. After brief emergency treatment, Perez was released from the hospital and transferred to the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, about 130 miles southwest of Austin. He later reported loss of sensation on his left side, ongoing pain, and that he was forced to sleep on a cement floor without adequate medication.
Background & Context
The incident occurred amid a nationwide surge in ICE enforcement during the second Trump administration, with the agency reporting more than 50,000 arrests per month in July and August. Texas has seen several ICE-related shootings this year, including the fatal July shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. Garces Perez entered the United States in 2024 through a parole-asylum program, obtained a work permit, and was later issued a final removal order after missing a court hearing because notice was sent to an old address.
Official Statements & Responses
- Travis County District Attorney José Garza requested that removal proceedings be halted, warning that deportation would impede Perez’s ability to serve as a material witness.
- U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia scheduled a hearing for later in September, ordering Perez to appear in person and effectively pausing any deportation until the matter is resolved.
- Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the city’s special investigation unit will conduct an impartial review and that local police were not involved in the shooting.
- Mayor Kirk Watson expressed anger and called for city police participation in the investigation.
- Representative Joaquin Castro announced a planned visit to Perez to assess his condition and press for his release.
- Representative Greg Casar demanded an independent investigation and full disclosure of any agency footage.
Criticism & Opposition
- Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, argued that “Wilber is a victim of the shooting and the most important witness to it. You do not deport the key witness to your own officer’s use of force.”
- Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz, speaking for Perez’s attorney, called the use of force “unwarranted” regardless of immigration status.
- Roman Palomares, LULAC chair and national president, warned that “no agency should be the sole judge of its own conduct.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- DHS asserts that Perez received round-the-clock pain medication, while Perez and his attorney maintain he was given only Tylenol and ibuprofen.
- DHS describes Perez as an “illegal alien” with a final removal order; his attorney contends he entered legally and was seeking asylum.
- The precise trigger for the officer’s use of force remains unclear; the lack of body-camera footage from the ICE officer leaves a critical evidentiary gap.
What’s Next
A hearing set for later in September will address Perez’s habeas petition and determine whether a stay of removal is warranted while the criminal and administrative investigations proceed. The Travis County District Attorney’s office continues to seek cooperation from federal authorities, emphasizing the need for full access to evidence and for the ICE officer to remain in Texas pending the outcome.