An officer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot a Venezuelan delivery driver, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, in Austin, Texas. Garces Perez, 28, was working for DoorDash when an ICE officer shot him in the upper torso. The incident happened Sunday afternoon. The officer involved was not wearing a body camera, according to sources involved in the investigation.
The shooting has caused public outcry, especially regarding President Trump’s immigration policies. Protests occurred in Texas demanding accountability and transparency in the investigation. The absence of body camera footage is intensifying concerns about the incident, which was first highlighted by The Atlantic.
“We’re getting close,” said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, referring to equipping ICE officers with body cameras. He mentioned that by the end of September, cameras would be implemented.
Despite this assurance, the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about why the involved officer did not have a body camera. After Garces Perez was hospitalized, he was taken into ICE custody. Authorities claim he is in the U.S. illegally with a deportation order.
Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro stated that Garces Perez was returned to the hospital due to numbness on his left side and concerns about a bullet lodged in his back. Despite this, on Tuesday, he was moved back to ICE’s South Texas Detention Complex. Castro planned to visit him on Wednesday.
According to Garces Perez’s lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, he appears to be receiving only basic pain relief while in detention. She noted he remains isolated without communication tools. Lincoln-Goldfinch filed a habeas petition challenging his custody on constitutional grounds. A federal judge ordered an in-person hearing for Garces Perez on the habeas claim, preventing deportation until the hearing on September 30.