Venezuelan Immigrant Shot by ICE Agent Still Detained With Bullet in Back, Two Days After Incident
A Venezuelan DoorDash driver shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Austin, Texas remains hospitalized in a detention center with a bullet still lodged in his back, receiving only basic pain medication. His lawyer says he had a work permit and was seeking asylum.
The Shooting Incident
A Venezuelan immigrant still has a bullet in his back, two days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and injured him, according to his lawyer Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was shot in the back by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Austin, Texas. Garces Perez's lawyer says he had a work permit and was seeking asylum but had missed a deportation order sent to an old address.
Medical Concerns
Lincoln-Goldfinch says Wilber Rafael Garces Perez is being kept in a regular bed in a detention center and treated with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. The minimal medical treatment despite the serious nature of the gunshot wound has raised concerns about the care provided to detainees.
DHS Investigation
The Department of Homeland Security said Monday it was leading the investigation into the officer involved in a shooting of "an illegal alien from Venezuela" during an operation in Austin, Texas.
Broader ICE Operations Context
Months after the beginning of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in U.S. cities, and after several fatal shootings, ICE now says it has enough body cameras for its agents. This incident adds to a growing pattern of officer-involved shootings during recent ICE enforcement operations.