September 20, 2026 · Immigration, Detention & Civil Rights
· Use-of-force incident
Developing
ICE Officer Shoots and Wounds Venezuelan Delivery Driver in Austin, Texas
On Sept. 20, 2026, an ICE officer shot and wounded Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, a Venezuelan DoorDash driver, during a traffic stop in north Austin. He was hospitalized in serious but stable condition, shot once in the torso. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said local officers were not involved. A family attorney said she believed he had no criminal history; ICE did not detail what preceded the shooting.
The shooting drew roughly 100 protesters and renewed scrutiny of ICE's use of force amid a record surge in arrests, with the agency averaging over 50,000 arrests a month since July. Austin's mayor said he wants city police, not ICE, to lead the investigation.
The circumstances remain disputed. No charges or findings had been announced as of this writing.
The shooting drew roughly 100 protesters and renewed scrutiny of ICE's use of force amid a record surge in arrests, with the agency averaging over 50,000 arrests a month since July. Austin's mayor said he wants city police, not ICE, to lead the investigation.
The circumstances remain disputed. No charges or findings had been announced as of this writing.
Sources
- ICE officer shoots and wounds man in Austin, Texas, officials say — Al Jazeera, 2026-09-20