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Judge Sets Sept. 30 Hearing After Austin ICE Shooting

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 2:29 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

ICE Agent Shooting

ICE agent shot 28-year-old Venezuelan Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in Austin, Texas.
Rep. Greg Casar urged ICE to allow the doctor-recommended bullet-removal surgery.
ICE has not released body-camera video because the officer was not wearing a camera.
ICE acting director pledged all officers will have body-worn cameras by end of August.
A federal judge scheduled a Sept. 30 hearing while APD and Texas Rangers investigate the shooting.

Summary

ICE Arrest Surge

ICE recorded over 50,000 arrests per month in July and August, a historic peak.
ICE made more than 1,000 arrests in Austin and suburbs in June-July, an 80% rise.
Nearly two-thirds of those Austin arrests involved people with no convictions or pending charges.
ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston in July.
Family says the shooter was an Army veteran with longstanding mental-health issues.

History

Historical Context

Operation Gatekeeper, announced by Attorney General Janet Reno on September 17 1994 and launched October 1 under President Bill Clinton, fortified the San Diego sector with fences, sensors and doubled Border Patrol staff, raising weekly apprehensions by 1,470 and prompting migrants to shift eastward. The program’s surge in enforcement and resulting deaths set a precedent for today’s ICE-driven spikes in arrests and renewed calls for oversight.

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ICE Agent Shooting

ICE agent shot 28-year-old Venezuelan Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in Austin, Texas.
Rep. Greg Casar urged ICE to allow the doctor-recommended bullet-removal surgery.
ICE has not released body-camera video because the officer was not wearing a camera.
ICE acting director pledged all officers will have body-worn cameras by end of August.
A federal judge scheduled a Sept. 30 hearing while APD and Texas Rangers investigate the shooting.

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