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ICE agent shoots and wounds man in Austin

newsSep 20, 2026324,930

An ICE agent shot and wounded 29-year-old Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez on September 20, 2026, in north Austin near U.S. 183 and Anderson Square, officials and local reporting say. Witnesses and video shared online show what appear to be two bullet holes in the right rear passenger window after an agent sideswiped or rammed his car; some posts describe a PIT-style maneuver and shots fired through the passenger-side door. Pérez, a DoorDash driver whose lawyer says he previously held a valid work permit and entered the United States lawfully, was shot once in the torso and hospitalized in serious but stable condition before being taken into ICE custody, according to NPR and local outlets. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson attended a hospital news conference calling for accountability and transparency, and Bishop Garcia said he was "deeply saddened and disturbed" by the shooting. DHS and ICE skipped the city press conference and have not answered questions, prompting demands from local officials and protesters for release of footage, records, and an independent investigation. Demonstrations gathered at the shooting site, and commentators noted the incident follows other recent controversies involving ICE, including a recent agent charged with lying about a separate shooting and a reported July high in ICE arrests.

Marisa Kabas
@marisakabas.bsky.social

The man ICE shot in Austin today is named Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. Per his lawyer, she and Perez’s family were run off of hospital property where he’s being treated and won’t even confirm he’s there because he’s “in ICE custody.” Actual criminals.

195719d ago
Raider
@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social

Protests have erupted in Austin, Texas after ICE shot 29 year old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez.

145419d ago
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