Shot, Detained, and Still in Pain: The Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez Case Roils Austin
A Sunday afternoon food delivery in North Austin has turned into a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement, after a masked federal agent shot a Venezuelan asylum seeker and left the city reeling.
What happened
Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, was working as a DoorDash driver around midday Sunday when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer sideswiped his car near Anderson Square and Research Boulevard, then shot him, according to his attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch.
He was struck in the torso and taken to Dell Seton Medical Center, where his wife says she was initially barred from seeing him. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis confirmed local officers were not involved in the shooting and said investigators would rely on evidence, including bystander video, rather than speculation.
Garcés Pérez had entered the U.S. in 2024 through the CBP One app and applied for asylum, but missed a court hearing after his notice was sent to the wrong address. DHS has defended the shooting, describing him as an “illegal alien” with a final removal order and saying Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are reviewing the agent’s conduct.
“I haven’t received any medical attention”
By Monday, Garcés Pérez’s family learned — four hours after the shooting, and only after Austin Mayor Kirk Watson intervened at the hospital — that he had been transferred to the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, roughly two hours from Austin.
Doctors reportedly declined to remove the bullet because it sits too close to his spine.
At a Monday press conference, Lincoln-Goldfinch’s phone rang mid-briefing: Garcés Pérez, calling from detention. Speaking in Spanish, he described being transferred to a temporary holding cell around 4 a.m., where he said he slept on a concrete floor. “I haven’t received any medical attention. I’m in a lot of pain,” he told the gathered reporters, adding that he had repeatedly told guards about his condition. “I’m not doing very well.”
His attorney says he works to pay for his son’s medical care and had planned to stay home Sunday before deciding to make one more delivery.
Protests and political fallout
The shooting reignited protests that have become a near-weekly occurrence in Austin amid the administration’s expanded immigration enforcement.
Demonstrators gathered at the shooting site and downtown on both Sunday and Monday nights; a memorial sprang up at Anderson Square and Research Boulevard.
Several arrests were reported during Monday’s protest.
Local and state officials reacted with alarm.
Mayor Kirk Watson said he was “very angry and extremely disappointed that a person was shot on the streets of Austin.”
U.S. Representative Greg Casar, whose district includes Austin, pressed for transparency and framed the case in human terms: “This is about a family… What kind of America do we want to be?” He also said on social media that Garcés Pérez “must not be removed from this country, and he must receive proper medical care.”
The case lands just months after ICE agents fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national, in Houston, and amid a string of other ICE-involved shootings across the country this year — including the fatal shooting of Minneapolis woman Renee Nicole Good in January — that have fueled a broader backlash against federal immigration tactics in Texas and beyond.
What’s next
DHS says the shooting remains under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, with FBI assistance, and has not released bodycam or additional footage. Lincoln-Goldfinch’s office continues to push for Garcés Pérez’s medical treatment and against his removal while he recovers from a wound doctors have deemed too risky to operate on.
As of this writing, ICE has not indicated when — or whether — that will happen.
UPDATE: 12:00 PM
Sources:
- NBC News, “ICE officer shoots Venezuelan man delivering food in Austin, lawyer says”
- CBS News, “Man shot by ICE in Austin being held in detention center with bullet in his back, lawyer says”
- The Texas Tribune, “Venezuelan man shot by ICE in Austin said he tried to pull over before officers fired at him”
- Austin American-Statesman, “Who is Wilber Rafael Garces Perez? What we know about the victim of Austin ICE shooting”
- Newsweek, “What Videos Show About ICE Austin Shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez”
- The Guardian, “ICE agent shoots and wounds Venezuelan man at traffic stop in Austin, Texas”
Austin Transit Partnership voted Monday to secure another round of design and construction funds and expand its current downtown headquarters, as it shapes the next chapter to bring Austin’s first light rail to life.
San Marcos police are investigating a homicide after a person was found dead Sunday evening. Officers were called around 5:40 p.m. to the 600 block of CM Allen Parkway for a report of a suspicious death. (CBS Austin)
“A person of interest has been detained and detectives are working to determine what happened. The investigation remains ongoing, and there is no additional information available at this time.” — San Marcos Police Department
Boerne authorities were alerted early Monday of a body found, the result of an apparent suicide.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available.
Call or text 988 or use webchat at 988lifeline.org to connect with trained counselors.
You are not alone.
Local residents and environmental advocacy groups—including the Save Our Springs Alliance and PODER—have filed suit against the City of Austin and City Council over the Dog’s Head development.
Announced Monday, the lawsuit challenges a 35-year deal that would funnel more than $1 billion in property and sales taxes into project infrastructure, labeling the agreement with Endeavor an “illegal and unconstitutional use of taxes and utility rates.” (Austin Current)
(Episode from September 21, 2026)
Shane Harbinson, a respected aviation industry veteran who devoted more than 30 years to airport operations and capital development at at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, has passed away.
Harbinson first joined the City of Austin Department of Aviation in 1999 as an Airport Operations Coordinator at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, embarking on a distinguished career that helped shape the region’s air travel infrastructure.
WEATHER
MONDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERSGTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
Monday’s recorded high temperature at Camp Mabry for September 21 broke the old record of 100 degrees set in 1926
Mabry also reported nearly a quarter-inch of rain yesterday.
The airport received no rain.
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
A dangerous surge of subtropical moisture is expected to bring several rounds of thunderstorms and an increasing risk of flash flooding to eastern New Mexico and parts of the Texas Panhandle this week.
Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources ahead of the event.
The current Atlantic hurricane season could end without producing a single hurricane, a stunning possibility not seen since 1914.
A grass fire sparked by an accidental shredding operation near Mustang Ridge in southeast Travis County has burned an estimated 68 acres and is roughly 70% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The blaze, dubbed the Evelyn Fire, was first reported around 1 p.m. Monday in the 9000 block of Evelyn Road and quickly grew from an initial estimate of 75 acres to 100 acres before crews began gaining ground.
Fire crews continued working hot spots into the evening while bulldozers worked to complete a containment line, and helicopters from the Texas Department of Public Safety and STAR Flight assisted with water drops. Several roads, including Evelyn Road at State Highway 130 and Bock Road at Caldvis Road, were closed during the response. No injuries or structure damage have been reported, and the cause remains under investigation.
UPDATE: 1:00 PM
Despite efforts, local fire officials are receiving criticism on social media about their response time.
Texas House Democrat Vikki Goodwin has filed a police report against Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick over campaign ads using artificial intelligence. Running to unseat Patrick, the Travis County lawmaker submitted an affidavit with the local sheriff’s office alleging that deepfake images posted to Patrick’s personal X account violated state law and distorted her political views. (KUT 90.5)
Ken Paxton and his allies have spent millions this election cycle on ads that accuse his Democratic U.S. Senate challenger, James Talarico, of helping Chinese investors buy up Texas land, but Paxton’s campaign took in $40,000 from donors who work for companies that facilitate the exact kind of Chinese investments he has criticized, according to a review of campaign finance documents by Hearst Newspapers. (Houston Chronicle)
State and federal officials on Tuesday announced charges against seven people accused of voting in federal elections while not eligible citizens. (Texas Tribune)
The midterm elections have surrounded a decline in affordability, trust in our government, and increase in attacks on Texas communities. One issue that has not dominated this election cycle, though it coincides with all of these factors described, is Texas’ restrictive reproductive rights and the connected fight to preserve democracy.
For the third installment of our midterms election protection and education series with the Texas Civil Rights Project, we spoke with Gwynn Marotta and Veronikah Warms about what reproductive justice means in Texas, why it matters, and how you can join in.
As the New World screwworm continues to pose a threat, confirmed U.S. cases have hit 50.
Grant County, New Mexico, recently reported its first local infection in a horse—bringing the state total to two alongside 48 cases in Texas. Federal authorities report that while the parasite’s northward momentum is slowing, the outbreak remains an active concern. (Texas Public Radio)
DIESEL PRICES
AAA GAS PRICES
SPORTS
MLB: Six games left.
After both teams enjoyed a collective breath on Monday’s off-day, the division-leading Texas Rangers (78-78) and trailing Houston Astros (77-79) return to action tonight with everything on the line.
Texas holds a slim one-game cushion over Houston entering Tuesday, but with no guarantee of an AL Wild Card spot coming out of the division, winning the West may be the only path to October baseball for either Lone Star rival.
Houston holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, meaning a single game shift down the stretch could completely flip the postseason picture before the regular season wraps up Sunday.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: The Texas Longhorns offense sputters as the SEC gauntlet approaches—can Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian ignite explosive plays in time?
NHL: Is it too early to talk about hockey?
The Dallas Stars swept the home‑and‑home preseason series with a 2‑1 win at St. Louis and a 2‑1 victory at American Airlines Center, with Casey DeSmith making key saves and Arttu Hyry scoring in the opener. (Yahoo! Sports)
The first NHL regular-season game of the 2026–27 season is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, featuring the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. This matchup headlines a five-game opening night slate to kick off the league’s newly expanded 84-game schedule.
The Dallas Stars begin regular-season play on Friday, October 2, with their home opener against the St. Louis Blues at the American Airlines Center.
Chef and pitmaster Brandon Hurtado blends Texas tastes with Mexican American barbecue traditions at Hurtado BBQ in Arlington.
