An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and wounded a Venezuelan man in North Austin on Sunday, triggering protests at the scene and demands from Austin officials for a broader investigation into what led to the shooting.
The man, identified by his immigration attorney as 28 year old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, was shot once in the torso shortly before 1 p.m. on September 20, according to local officials. He was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition and was later released into federal custody, his lawyer said.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said an ICE agent shot the man following a brief pursuit on foot.
The incident has placed fresh attention on the growing presence of federal immigration officers in Austin and the questions surrounding the use of force during immigration enforcement operations.
Man Identified as Venezuelan Delivery Driver
Attorney Kate Lincoln Goldfinch identified the injured man as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez and said she was representing his family.
According to reporting by The Texas Tribune, Perez was making a DoorDash delivery when federal immigration officers began pursuing him. His attorney said he later called his wife from inside his vehicle after being shot.
The exact circumstances that brought Perez into contact with immigration officers have not been fully disclosed.
His immigration status has also become a point of dispute.
The Department of Homeland Security said Perez entered the United States illegally during the Biden administration and was subject to a final removal order. The agency did not provide detailed information explaining the circumstances of his entry or the basis for that order.
Lincoln Goldfinch has given a different account, saying her client entered the United States legally and had a valid work permit. A law enforcement source cited by CNN described Perez as an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela.
The competing accounts have not been fully resolved publicly.
That distinction is significant because Venezuelan migrants were among those who received temporary immigration protections and other forms of legal entry or parole under policies established during the Biden administration. The Trump administration subsequently ended or changed several of those protections as it expanded immigration enforcement.
What Happened During the Operation
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the shooting occurred after what she described as a brief foot pursuit.
Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sheridan Nolen said state troopers received a call from ICE at about 12:50 p.m. requesting assistance in pursuing a blue Toyota Corolla. Troopers had not arrived when the ICE agent fired the shot, according to Nolen.
When state troopers reached the scene, they assisted with medical treatment for the driver of the vehicle.
Austin police were not part of the operation that preceded the shooting. City officials initially said they had limited information about what had happened and did not know the identity of the ICE agent involved.
Perez was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to the torso. Officials initially described his condition as serious but stable.
His attorney later said he was discharged from the hospital and transferred into federal custody.
The development has raised additional concerns among Perez's family and legal representatives about access to information concerning his medical condition and immigration case.
Federal Investigation Underway
The Department of Homeland Security said its Homeland Security Investigations unit would lead the federal investigation, with assistance from the FBI.
DHS said the person who was shot was a Venezuelan national who had entered the United States illegally during the Biden administration and was subject to a final removal order. The department said he was stable and in federal custody pending removal.
The federal government has not publicly released a detailed account of what prompted the encounter or why the agent opened fire.
That absence of information has become one of the central issues surrounding the case.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said he wants local authorities involved in the investigation rather than leaving the matter solely to federal agencies.
Watson said Austin residents deserve an investigation that includes independent local scrutiny. Austin police and the Texas Rangers are expected to participate in the investigation, while the Travis County District Attorney's Office has also requested access to evidence collected during the inquiry.
The district attorney's office said it wants to review the evidence gathered by Austin police and requested cooperation from federal authorities. Officials said the investigation could potentially identify violations of state law.
Mayor Calls for Local Oversight
Watson has expressed anger over the shooting and questioned whether an investigation conducted only by ICE or another federal immigration agency would provide sufficient public confidence.
The mayor's call for local involvement comes after Austin has experienced an increase in immigration enforcement activity in recent weeks.
US Representative Greg Casar, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Austin, also criticised the escalation in federal immigration activity in the city.
Casar said local officials had warned that the increased presence of immigration agents could lead to violence.
The shooting has now become one of the most visible incidents associated with the recent enforcement operations in Austin.
For city officials, the immediate issue is determining exactly what happened during the encounter, what instructions were given to the federal officers and why the situation ended with a gunshot.
Those questions cannot be answered solely by establishing that an ICE agent fired a weapon. Investigators will need to reconstruct the sequence of events using witness accounts, surveillance footage, communications records and other evidence.
Protesters Gather at Shooting Scene
The shooting quickly drew demonstrators to the area near Research Boulevard and Anderson Square in North Austin.
Protesters gathered around the scene during the afternoon and remained there into the evening. Demonstrators shouted criticism of ICE and federal immigration enforcement and carried signs and flags.
The situation became tense as the day progressed.
According to The Texas Tribune, Austin police later fired pepper ball type projectiles after some demonstrators threw rocks and water bottles at officers as authorities prepared to leave the area.
The confrontation added another layer to an incident that had already become politically and legally sensitive.
For residents watching the events unfold, the shooting was not simply a federal immigration enforcement matter. It became a confrontation involving federal agents, local police, protesters and elected officials, all operating under different authorities and responsibilities.
Part of a Wider Pattern
The Austin shooting comes amid growing scrutiny of the use of force by federal immigration officers under President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement programme.
The Texas Tribune has reported that the Austin incident follows other shootings involving immigration agents in Texas since 2025, including the fatal shooting of a man in Houston earlier this year.
Federal immigration enforcement has expanded substantially during Trump's second administration, with thousands of ICE agents deployed as authorities pursue a broader programme of arrests and deportations.
Texas has been one of the main centres of that activity. The state has also become a major location for immigration detention, with numerous federal detention facilities operating across the state.
The Texas Tribune reported that at least 14 people in ICE custody had died at Texas detention sites since 2025, based on federal detainee death notifications and media reports.
The Austin shooting is different from deaths occurring in detention because the injury happened during an enforcement operation in a public area. But it has become part of the broader debate over how immigration laws are enforced and how federal officers are held accountable when force is used.
Rights advocates have accused the Trump administration of violating due process and other civil liberties through its immigration crackdown. The administration has defended the programme as necessary to enforce immigration laws and improve public security.
Questions Still Unanswered
Several important details remain unclear.
Investigators have not publicly explained what caused the initial encounter between Perez and immigration officers. Authorities have also not provided a detailed account of the foot pursuit or the events immediately before the shooting.
The identity of the ICE agent who fired the weapon has not been released.
The federal government has also not publicly explained the specific circumstances surrounding Perez's alleged final removal order, while his attorney disputes the government's description of how he entered the United States.
Those differences will likely form part of the investigation as federal, state and local authorities review the incident.
For Perez's family, however, the immediate concern is more direct. Their relative was shot during an immigration enforcement operation, treated at a hospital and then placed in federal custody.
The investigation will now determine what happened before the gun was fired and whether the use of force complied with federal and state law.
With Austin police, the Texas Rangers, the Travis County District Attorney's Office, DHS and the FBI involved in different aspects of the case, the public will be watching whether investigators produce a clear account supported by evidence.
What do you think local and federal authorities should release to the public to ensure a full and transparent investigation into the Austin shooting?