Texas Shooting: ICE Agent Wounds Man in Austin Amid Escalating Immigration Enforcement

A man has been hospitalized in Austin, Texas after being shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, local officials confirmed Sunday.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson expressed strong disapproval over the shooting and called for a thorough, local police-led investigation into the incident.

Details of the Austin ICE Shooting

The man sustained a gunshot wound to his torso during a brief foot pursuit on the north side of Austin shortly before 1 p.m. local time, according to city officials who spoke at a press briefing.

The injured individual remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition, officials said, noting that information surrounding the incident is still “very preliminary.”

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis clarified that city police officers were neither involved in the operation nor the shooting.

Identity of the Injured Man

Local authorities have not released the man’s name or personal details, but immigration attorney Kate Lincoln Goldfinch – who is representing the family – identified him as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national.

Goldfinch stated in a video posted to her Instagram that she believes Perez had no prior criminal record and no final deportation order against him.

The Associated Press later reported that Goldfinch was uncertain about his current immigration status.

Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security – which oversees the agency – has issued a public statement regarding the shooting.

Approximately 100 protesters gathered near the scene of the incident and demonstrated against ICE’s actions, according to local news outlet Reuters.

The demonstration took place across the street from a damaged blue Toyota Corolla with visible harm to its passenger-side door, as ICE agents remained nearby, Reuters reported citing local television coverage.

Mayor Watson Denounces ICE, Demands Independent Probe

The Sunday shooting marks the latest in a series of confrontations involving ICE, an agency increasingly seen as the symbol of stricter immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Mayor Watson, a Democrat, noted that the shooting occurred amid what he described as a “significant increase, almost overnight” in ICE operations within Austin.

“While I’m angry and disappointed, I’m not surprised. This has happened in other cities. With the rogue nature of ICE and the chaos we’re seeing fomented by ICE, there’s no reason to be surprised,” Watson wrote on X.

He urged for an independent investigation, suggesting that the Austin Police Department (APD) should play a central role in ensuring accountability.

Watson emphasized that residents of Austin deserve clarity and safety, stating, “People have a right to know what happened and a right to feel secure in their own community.”

Although APD was not involved in the shooting, Watson said, “There needs to be an investigation that APD assures is clear-eyed, as complete as possible, and independent.”

He also revealed that Chief Davis had deployed APD’s Special Investigation Unit to the scene, which typically handles officer-involved shooting cases.

Additionally, Watson said that Davis requested assistance from the Texas Rangers to support the ongoing investigation.

Congressman Condemns ICE Surge Following Shooting

On Sunday, U.S. Representative Greg Casar – a Texas Democrat – joined calls for transparency during the investigation.

Casar criticized ICE, alleging that the agency has not been truthful in similar incidents in other cities.

“It is awful that this horror has come to our doorstep,” Casar said during a press briefing.

“A few weeks ago, as we saw the ICE surge begin, I and others warned that ICE needed to leave before someone got hurt,” he added.

Embedded Video: ICE Targets South Asians for Removal from United States

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Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah

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