US Judge Blocks Deportation of Injured Delivery Driver

A U.S. judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of a DoorDash driver who was shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, his lawyer confirmed.

Wilber Garces Perez is currently in a detention facility, and his lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, filed a federal lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent his removal from the United States. The judge ordered that Garces Perez must appear in person on September 30, effectively preventing his deportation before that date. "For now, we have secured a temporary block on his deportation while his case moves forward," Lincoln-Goldfinch stated on social media. "This is an important step, but our work is not over. Wilber still needs appropriate medical care, and we will continue fighting to protect his rights."

The shooting caused Garces Perez to fracture his clavicle. He is wearing a sling and experiencing significant swelling and pain, according to his lawyer. The extent of any loss of movement he may have suffered has not yet been determined.

Lincoln-Goldfinch previously told the BBC that Garces Perez was transferred from a hospital back to a detention center after the shooting on Sunday. He had been unable to move his arm while in the detention facility and was taken back to a hospital on Monday evening for treatment before his return. Despite his injury, he was handcuffed, shackled at the ankles, placed in a waist chain, and handled roughly during his transfer, his lawyer alleged. Detention personnel reportedly revoked his communication privileges and moved him from an infirmary to an isolated room with a non-adjustable bed.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Texas declined to comment on the case. The Department of Homeland Security has been contacted for comment.