ICE Agents Shoot Venezuelan Migrant, Transfer Him to Detention Amid Medical Concerns
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement faces scrutiny after a migrant, shot during an encounter in Texas, was moved to a detention center with a bullet still lodged in his body.
A DoorDash driver from Venezuela was shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Texas and subsequently transferred to a detention center, despite a bullet remaining lodged near his spine. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, stated that doctors were unable to remove the bullet before his transfer on Monday to the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall.
"I am not doing well due to the gunshot wound and I have no received the medical attention I require," Perez said during a news conference held while he was in ICE custody. His immigration attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, reported that the agency had pushed for his swift release from the hospital to facilitate his transfer.
Perez was reportedly making a DoorDash delivery in Austin on Sunday when his car was allegedly sideswiped twice by ICE agents in an unmarked vehicle. According to a source cited by The New York Times, Perez was pulled over by agents around 12:45 p.m. on Sunday and then allegedly fled in his car, with agents catching up to him shortly after.
Perez claims the officers did not signal him to stop or activate lights until after the initial sideswiping. He stated that an officer approached him, identified himself, and requested his immigration documents. Perez recounted asking the officer the reason for the stop while the agent insisted he exit his vehicle. Perez said he agreed but asked to pull over to allow someone to pick up his car later. According to Perez, the officer refused, but Perez then performed a U-turn and attempted to park before officers rammed his vehicle again and discharged their weapons after the car had stopped.
Video footage reviewed by The New York Times appears to show an officer exiting a vehicle and approaching Perez's Toyota, which begins to roll forward. Three gunshots are then heard before the vehicle slowly comes to a stop. A witness, identified as Carlos, 60, told the outlet that Perez said he was shot because he did not apply the brakes.
ICE transferred Perez to a hospital, and he was later released into ICE custody on the same day, with the bullet still in his body, according to his attorney. Lincoln-Goldfinch also stated that Perez reported being interrogated while hospitalized and receiving no pain medication or treatment, forced to sleep on the floor before being given a pill by a nurse on Monday.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed it is investigating the shooting of a Venezuelan man who was in the U.S. illegally and "had a final order of removal." It is unclear why Perez was shot during the encounter.
According to Lincoln-Goldfinch, Perez entered the U.S. legally in 2024 through the CBP One program, which allows migrants to schedule appointments with U.S. authorities for asylum cases. His attorneys assert that Perez is an asylum seeker with a valid work permit. A deportation order was issued after Perez missed an immigration court hearing, as the notice was sent to a previous address.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson called for the involvement of local police in the investigation, stating it would be inappropriate for ICE to investigate the incident solely on its own. The incident occurs amidst increased immigration enforcement actions. ICE reported approximately 50,000 arrests in July and August, marking a significant increase.