An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot a DoorDash driver at the intersection of U.S. 183 and Anderson Square in North Austin on Sunday around 12:55 pm, city officials said. The incident, which took place without police presence, has been described as part of a pattern of federal enforcement violence linked to President Donald Trump’s mass‑deportation campaign.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28‑year‑old Venezuelan national, was wounded once in the torso and was rushed to a hospital. His lawyer reported that he was in a serious but stable condition. Garces Perez was in ICE custody at the time of the shooting.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said she had been told the shooter was an ICE agent and that the department would work with the Texas Rangers and the Texas Department of Public Safety to obtain answers. Mayor Kirk Watson expressed anger, calling the event a “no‑reason‑to‑be‑surprised” example of ICE’s conduct in other cities and urged an independent, third‑party investigation.
The Department of Homeland Security described Garces Perez as an “illegal alien from Venezuela” who had entered the United States illegally under the Biden administration and was under a final order of removal. The agency said he was in federal custody pending removal and that his condition was stable. ICE and DHS spokespeople did not immediately respond to inquiries.
The shooting sparked a protest late on Sunday, with demonstrators holding flags and signs reading “Justice 4 Wilbur.” Democratic Representative Greg Casar criticized ICE’s actions in Austin and called for a focus on crime rather than the current surge of officers. The incident follows a series of federal immigration‑related shootings, including the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota and earlier deaths in Houston and Maine, which have drawn national scrutiny and calls for reform.
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