ICE Officer In Austin Shooting Lacked Body Camera, Judge Halts Deportation
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez and ordered he be present at a Sept. 30 hearing after he was shot by an ICE officer in Austin, his attorney said.[1]
Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said a bullet remains lodged in Garces Perez's body, he is in significant pain, and he needs further medical care while in ICE custody.[1] Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and ICE Director David Venturella asking that Garces Perez be allowed to stay in the United States while the shooting is investigated.[1] More than 100 members of Congress led by Rep. Greg Casar signed a separate letter urging ICE to release Garces Perez so he can obtain treatment and serve as a key witness.[1]
Garces Perez is a Venezuelan citizen with a final removal order who was working as a DoorDash delivery driver, his attorney said.[1] Lincoln-Goldfinch alleges agents chased and sideswiped his vehicle, then shot him in the back of the neck before pulling him from the car.[1] Fox News reported the ICE officer who fired is a relatively new ICE recruit with prior U.S. Border Patrol and other law-enforcement experience, and that training records show he completed a 256-hour Deportation Officer Training Program in August 2025 and scored 99.2 percent on pistol qualification.[1] Sources said the ICE officer was not wearing a body camera when he fired.[2] Fox reported DHS had planned to equip ICE officers with body cameras by the end of September 2026.[1]
The temporary court order keeps Garces Perez's deportation on hold at least until the Sept. 30 hearing while investigators and the courts review the shooting and his medical needs.[1]
Show source details & analysis (2 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- Attorney Attorney Kate Lincoln‑Goldfinch said a federal judge ordered that Wilber Rafael Garces Perez be present for a September 30, 2026 hearing, temporarily blocking his deportation until at least that date.
- Lincoln‑Goldfinch said on September 22, 2026 that a bullet remains lodged in Wilber Rafael Garces Perez’s body, that he is in significant pain, and that he needs further medical care while in ICE custody.
- Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza sent a September 22, 2026 letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and ICE Director David Venturella asking that Garces Perez be allowed to remain in the United States while the shooting is investigated.
- Rep. Greg Casar and more than 100 other members of Congress signed a letter to Mullin and Venturella urging ICE to release Garces Perez from detention so he can obtain medical treatment and serve as a key witness.
- Fox News reported the ICE officer who shot Garces Perez is a relatively new ICE recruit with prior U.S. Border Patrol and other law‑enforcement experience and was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting, despite DHS plans to equip all officers with cameras by the end of September 2026.
- Training records cited in the article say the officer completed ICE’s 256‑hour Deportation Officer Training Program in August 2025, scored 99.2% on his pistol qualification, and received coursework on use‑of‑force scenarios before taking the field.
- The article says Wilber Rafael Garces Perez is a Venezuelan citizen with a final removal order who was working as a DoorDash delivery driver; his attorney alleges agents chased and sideswiped his vehicle, then shot him in the back of the neck before pulling him from the car.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said a federal judge ordered that Wilber Rafael Garces Perez be present for a September 30, 2026 hearing, which blocks his deportation until at least that date.
- Lincoln-Goldfinch said on September 22, 2026 that the bullet remains lodged in Garces Perez’s body and that he is in significant pain but still needs further medical care while in ICE custody.
- Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza sent a September 22, 2026 letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and ICE Director David Venturella asking that Garces Perez be allowed to remain in the United States while the shooting is investigated.
- Rep. Greg Casar and more than 100 other members of Congress signed a letter to Mullin and Venturella urging ICE to release Garces Perez from detention so he can obtain medical treatment and serve as a key witness.
- Fox News reported that the ICE officer who shot Garces Perez is a relatively new ICE recruit with prior U.S. Border Patrol and other law‑enforcement experience and that he was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting, despite DHS plans to equip all officers with cameras by the end of September 2026.
- Training records cited in the article say the officer completed ICE’s 256‑hour Deportation Officer Training Program in August 2025, scored 99.2% on his pistol qualification, and received coursework on use‑of‑force scenarios before taking the field.
- The article reiterates that Garces Perez is a Venezuelan citizen with a final removal order who was working as a DoorDash delivery driver and describes his attorney’s account that agents chased, sideswiped his vehicle, then shot him in the back of the neck before pulling him from the car.