A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded a man Sunday afternoon in Austin, Texas, local authorities reported. The incident occurred after a traffic stop on the city's north side, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.
The unnamed man sustained a single gunshot wound to the torso and was transported to a hospital in serious but stable condition. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not yet released details regarding the incident or their participation in the investigation.
Austin police were not involved in the operation or the shooting itself, Davis stated. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson expressed a desire for the city's police department to be involved in the investigation to ensure "clear, third-party eyes" on the process, suggesting that an ICE-led investigation alone would not be appropriate. "Austin residents have a right to feel safe in their city," Watson said, adding that a thorough investigation would bolster credibility.
The nationality of the individual who was shot remains unknown. Images from the scene showed a dark blue Toyota Corolla with damage to its passenger side and apparent bullet holes parked under an overpass. A significant law enforcement presence was observed, alongside approximately a hundred protesters.
Some demonstrators expressed anger towards officers, while others rallied with passing cars honking in support. One protester held a sign reading, “Nobody is safe” and “ICE Nazi.” When questioned about the whereabouts of the involved federal agent, Mayor Watson indicated that city officials did not know and expressed hope that the agent would not leave the city or state following the shooting.
U.S. Representative Greg Casar, who represents parts of Austin, called for transparency in the investigation and stated, “For Austin to be safe, ICE should end its surge here.” The shooting occurs amid a national surge in ICE enforcement actions, which in July and August saw more than 50,000 arrests per month for the first time in the agency's history.
This incident follows other recent encounters involving ICE officers. In July, an ICE officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston after a pursuit. Also in July, an ICE officer shot Johan Sebastián, a Colombian national, in Maine. The administration's enforcement efforts have faced criticism, particularly after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota last winter.