A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer has shot and wounded a man during an enforcement operation in Austin, Texas, prompting calls for an independent investigation into the incident.
The shooting occurred on Sunday, September 20, 2026, in North Austin. According to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, the man was shot in the torso during a brief pursuit following a traffic stop.
Local officials said the injured man was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition. He was later released from the hospital and placed in federal custody, according to his lawyer.
The man’s lawyer, immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, identified him as 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan national. She said she was representing his family and raised concerns about the family’s ability to obtain information about his condition and whereabouts.
US Department of Homeland Security officials said Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the FBI, was leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
Federal authorities said Perez had entered the United States illegally and was subject to a final removal order. His lawyer, however, told the Texas Tribune that he had entered the country legally, creating a dispute over his immigration history that remains unresolved.
Austin police were not involved in the shooting itself. Chief Davis said her department had received limited information from federal authorities and that local officers arrived after the shooting.
Texas Department of Public Safety officials also said they received a request from ICE for assistance with a vehicle pursuit at about 12:50 p.m. By the time state officers arrived, the shooting had already occurred.
The incident has triggered calls from Austin officials for local authorities to participate in the investigation.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said he wanted the city’s police department involved, arguing that an independent local role would provide greater transparency. He also called for cooperation from federal authorities in making evidence available to investigators.
The shooting also drew protesters to the area where the incident occurred. Images from the scene showed a damaged blue Toyota sedan surrounded by law-enforcement personnel.
US Representative Greg Casar, whose district includes parts of Austin, also called for transparency and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The incident comes amid an increase in ICE enforcement activity in Austin and across the United States. The agency has faced increased public scrutiny over its immigration enforcement operations, particularly following other incidents involving federal immigration officers.
Authorities have not publicly identified the ICE officer involved in the Austin shooting. The investigation by federal agencies, with calls for participation from local authorities, is expected to establish the circumstances that led to the shooting.
The case remains under investigation, and the conflicting accounts regarding Perez’s immigration status and the circumstances of the encounter have not yet been fully resolved.
Source: Thepressradio.com
