Asylum Seeker Shot by ICE
Venezuelan Asylum Seeker Shot By ICE Agent During Austin Traffic Stop
Anonymous
Key Points
1
Perez told reporters through a translator that he suffered a fractured clavicle in addition to the bullet wound near his spine; doctors reportedly did not remove the bullet because of its proximity to the spine.
2
Perez’s wife, Elizdar, did not know where he was after the shooting until the following morning, when his attorney located him at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall.
3
Perez entered the United States in 2024 using the Biden administration’s CBP One app to schedule an appointment with immigration authorities before receiving a work permit and applying for asylum.
4
Reps. Joaquin Castro and Greg Casar said they planned to visit Perez at the Pearsall detention center to assess his condition and press for his release; Castro described the facility as “nothing more than a prison.”
5
More than 100 people attended a Monday news conference outside Perez’s attorney’s Austin office, where activists, members of Congress and other speakers called attention to the shooting and immigration enforcement practices.
A Venezuelan asylum seeker shot by an ICE agent during a traffic stop in Austin is now hospitalized again with a bullet lodged near his spine and left-side paralysis. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, was struck in the back while making a DoorDash delivery on September 20. His attorney says an unmarked ICE vehicle hit his car before an agent opened fire—a claim authorities are investigating Houston Public Media. Perez was discharged into federal custody and transferred 130 miles away to an ICE detention center, where his attorney alleges he has been isolated and denied adequate pain treatment.
A federal judge temporarily blocked Perez's deportation and ordered him to appear at a September 30 hearing Houston Chronicle. Lawmakers, civil-rights groups, and Perez's family are demanding his release, his medical records, body-camera footage, and an independent investigation into the shooting. Perez entered the U.S. in 2024 using a government appointment app, obtained a work permit, and has no criminal history Winnipeg Free Press.
How the Shooting Unfolded in Austin
Perez was driving for DoorDash near US-183 and Anderson Square on Sunday afternoon when an unmarked SUV sideswipes or rams his Toyota Camry The Independent. Federal agents activate their lights. Perez asks to stop somewhere safer, but an ICE agent opens fire—striking him in the back and neck. He calls his wife, Elizdar, screaming that he has been shot. The call drops.
Doctors at Dell Seton Medical Center refuse to remove the bullet because it sits too close to his spine. Perez suffers a fractured clavicle in addition to the gunshot wound CT Post. Hospital security repeatedly denies to his wife and attorney that he is there. At 4 a.m. the next morning, he is discharged into federal custody, sleeps on a concrete floor, and is transported 130 miles to a detention center in Pearsall.
Medical Crisis and Isolation in ICE Custody
Perez develops weakness and left-side paralysis while at the South Texas ICE Processing Center Winnipeg Free Press. His attorney says he is receiving limited pain medication and has been isolated without proper medical access. A week after the shooting, more than 100 people gather at a news conference in Austin. Speaking via phone through a translator, Perez tells reporters: "I am not doing well, and I am not receiving the medical attention that I require... I have a lot of pain."
On September 22, a federal judge issues an emergency temporary restraining order blocking ICE from deporting him Houston Public Media. Perez is re-hospitalized after reporting his paralysis. Rep. Joaquin Castro visits the detention facility and describes it as "nothing more than a prison." The judge orders Perez to appear at a hearing on September 30 to argue his case.
Perez's Legal Status and Path to the U.S.
Perez entered the United States legally in 2024 using the Biden administration's CBP One app—a system for scheduling appointments with immigration authorities Winnipeg Free Press. He received a work permit and filed for asylum. He has no criminal history. However, an immigration hearing notice was mailed to an outdated address, resulting in a removal order issued in his absence.
The Department of Homeland Security describes him as an "illegal alien from Venezuela... who had a final order of removal" Houston Public Media. But his attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, argues Perez was lawfully working and should never have been targeted. Civil-rights groups say the Trump administration's record enforcement surge has put immigrants and delivery drivers at risk.
Calls for Transparency and Independent Review
Activists, lawmakers, and civil-rights organizations are demanding body-camera footage, medical records, and answers about why an unmarked vehicle was used. The ACLU of Texas issued a statement warning that "the Trump administration cannot be trusted to investigate on their own" due to a "documented track record of releasing false and misleading information." Protesters gathered under highway overpasses chanting "Assassino."
Rep. Greg Casar and Rep. Joaquin Castro have called for Perez's immediate release. The Homeland Security Investigations division and the FBI are investigating. The shooter has been placed on administrative leave. Perez's wife, Elizdar, did not know where her husband was until his attorney located him the morning after the shooting.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
35
Articles
253
Reach
288
A
AnonymousAuthor
