Turning Point USA Slams Lawyer in ICE Shooting Case Over Deleted Charlie Kirk Post
Spokesperson calls attorney and her client a 'perfect match' following controversy over a deleted social media post.
Turning Point USA (TPUSA) has responded sharply to the attorney representing a Venezuelan man shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Austin, Texas. The organization's spokesman, Andrew Kolvet, described the attorney and her client as a "perfect match" after criticism surfaced regarding a deleted social media post that referenced conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kolvet, who also serves as executive producer of "The Charlie Kirk Show," stated that TPUSA supports the federal immigration officers involved. He criticized attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch and her client, 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, describing the situation as "not surprising" given the client's immigration status and prior encounter with law enforcement.
Lincoln-Goldfinch had previously faced backlash after a social media post referencing Kirk resurfaced. In the deleted post, she questioned how one could resist being shot, invoking Kirk's name. Her office later stated that the post was removed because it could be misinterpreted.
The dispute intensified as new details emerged about the ICE operation that led to Garces Perez being shot. Surveillance footage published this week showed federal law enforcement vehicles pursuing Garces Perez's vehicle with lights and sirens activated before the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the authenticity of the footage.
Lincoln-Goldfinch has contested the federal government's account, asserting that Garces Perez was working as a DoorDash driver and did not initially recognize the pursuit as a federal operation. She also challenged DHS's characterization of his immigration status. DHS maintains that Garces Perez is a Venezuelan national with a final order of removal and that his work authorization had expired.
Austin police released body-camera footage that showed officers arriving after the shooting. The shooting has also led to legal action, with a lawsuit filed to prevent Garces Perez's immediate removal. A federal judge has ordered that he remain in the country pending a hearing.
Both Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are involved in the federal investigation into the shooting, with local Austin authorities also reviewing the evidence. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.