RismadarVoice Reporters
September 21, 2026
A Venezuelan man was shot and seriously wounded by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer while making a food delivery in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, according to his lawyer.
The man, identified as 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez, was taken to a hospital after being shot in the torso.
Robert Luckritz, chief of Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, said the victim was in serious but stable condition following the shooting.
Ms Garcés Perez’s immigration lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, said he was working as a DoorDash delivery driver when the incident occurred. DoorDash confirmed that he was making a delivery at the time but declined to provide further details.
The incident occurred at about 1 p.m. in North Austin.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), ICE requested assistance during a vehicle pursuit involving a blue Toyota Corolla.
DPS spokesperson Sheridan Nolen said state troopers arrived after the shooting had already occurred.
“Once they arrived, DPS Troopers immediately began assisting partner law enforcement agencies in performing medical treatment on the driver of the Toyota Corolla,” she said.
A video verified by NBC News showed a dark-coloured SUV and a blue sedan at an intersection. The footage captured the sound of screeching tyres, followed by several gunshots as a person approached the sedan.
The blue Toyota was later photographed with apparent bullet holes and other damage.
Authorities have not publicly provided a detailed account of what led to the shooting or explained whether the driver posed a threat to the officer.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, said Mr Garcés Perez was in federal custody and facing removal from the United States.
A DHS spokesperson said he had entered the country unlawfully during the administration of former President Joe Biden and had a final removal order.
The department said Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the FBI, would investigate the shooting.
DHS has not disclosed whether the ICE officer was wearing a body camera or whether Mr Garcés Perez was the target of an immigration enforcement operation.
Ms Lincoln-Goldfinch said she and the victim’s wife had sought information about his condition at Dell Seton Medical Centre, where he was taken following the shooting.
She said hospital personnel later escorted them from the premises.
“We are deeply concerned that his wife and family have not been permitted to see him and have not received a meaningful update regarding his current condition or whereabouts,” she said.
The lawyer said the immediate priority was to establish where Mr Garcés Perez was being held and confirm his condition.
“The main focus now is figuring out how and where he is, that he’s OK, and then we’ll be looking for justice,” she told Telemundo Austin.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said the city’s police department was not involved in the shooting.
Police Chief Lisa Davis said a “small foot pursuit” had occurred and that Austin police investigators were at the scene.
She said she was in contact with Homeland Security Investigations and other state law enforcement agencies.
Mr Watson said he had asked that Austin authorities be involved in any investigation so the city could provide independent expertise.
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office also called for a role in the investigation, saying it wanted to be a co-equal partner with federal authorities.
The shooting drew protesters to the area on Sunday, with demonstrators chanting slogans against ICE in English and Spanish.
Some protesters carried placards calling for an end to ICE operations.
Tensions later escalated, with Texas Department of Public Safety officers deploying non-lethal weapons, including tear gas, as some protesters confronted authorities.
By about 11 p.m. local time, protesters had dispersed and state troopers appeared to have left the area.
The incident has also drawn calls from some members of Congress for an independent investigation and the release of available body-camera footage.
US Representative Greg Casar called for an independent probe and accountability if the officer involved was found to have violated the law.
Other lawmakers, including Joaquin Castro, also called for a full investigation.
The League of United Latin American Citizens, a major US Latino civil rights organisation, urged Congress to establish independent oversight of immigration enforcement.
The shooting comes about two months after an ICE officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, in Houston during an attempted immigration arrest.
DHS said Mr Salgado Araujo had been in the US unlawfully and had attempted to run over agents. The department has not publicly provided evidence supporting that account.
