An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and wounded a man in Austin, Texas, on Sunday afternoon, authorities said. The incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. on the north side of the city, under a highway overpass, following what Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis described as a "small foot pursuit." The man, identified by his attorney as 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan migrant with a final order of removal, was struck once in the torso and taken to a nearby hospital in serious but stable condition.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and local officials expressed frustration and concern over the shooting. Mayor Watson called for transparency and an independent investigation involving the Austin Police Department to provide "clear, third-party eyes" on the case, noting that he did not believe ICE should investigate the incident alone. “The city of Austin deserves answers,” Chief Davis said, emphasizing the preliminary nature of the information currently available.
A dark blue Toyota Corolla with damage to the passenger-side door and apparent bullet holes was found at the scene, which was secured by law enforcement including state troopers. The area is home to many Latino residents and has experienced recent immigration enforcement activity, according to city officials.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not participate in Sunday’s news conference and had yet to respond to requests for comment. U.S. Representative Greg Casar, whose district includes parts of Austin, called for full transparency and criticized the recent surge of ICE enforcement in the city. "It is awful that this horror has come to our doorstep," Casar said, adding that ICE should end its heightened enforcement operations in Austin to ensure community safety.
The shooting is the latest in a series of incidents involving ICE agents since the administration increased deportation efforts beginning in early 2025. More than 20 people have been shot by federal immigration agents during this period, with six fatalities, including several U.S. citizens. Earlier this summer, in July, ICE agents fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine, both incidents sparking national scrutiny.
Mayor Watson expressed skepticism about ICE’s handling of the case, recalling previous situations in which federal information was later found to be inaccurate. He also urged the involved ICE agent to remain in the city during the investigation, though it was unclear whether the individual had left.
On Sunday, about a hundred protesters gathered near the scene, chanting slogans critical of ICE and calling attention to concerns over safety and immigration enforcement practices. The incident has raised broader questions about ICE’s operations and the impact on local communities amid a nationwide increase in immigration enforcement activities.