ICE agent shoots and wounds Venezuelan DoorDash driver in Texas

ICE Agent Shoots Venezuelan National in Austin Traffic Stop

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and wounded a Venezuelan national working as a DoorDash driver during an encounter in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch stated that the man, identified as Garces Perez, called his wife from the hospital while in pain and remained in ICE custody afterward.

The incident took place shortly before 1 p.m. local time. Local reports indicated that a blue Toyota Corolla at the scene showed damage to the passenger-side door. Dozens of people gathered nearby holding signs and flags from Mexico and Guatemala. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, said residents have a right to know the facts and to feel safe, and noted that the city would participate in the investigation. He also observed that ICE activity in Austin had increased in recent weeks.

Texas Representative Greg Casar, a Democrat, called for an immediate independent review, release of body camera footage, and accountability if any laws were broken. Florida Representative Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican, has criticized enforcement actions that target people without criminal records. She appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation and said she had spoken with the president, who she believes will maintain focus on border security.

The Trump administration has expanded immigration enforcement and arrests in its second term. Officials have described the measures as necessary to improve public safety and fulfill pledges to secure the border and remove individuals present unlawfully. Activists and some Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about due process and called for requirements that agents wear body cameras and show their faces.

Earlier this month, the Department of Justice charged an ICE agent with making false statements about a non-fatal shooting of a Venezuelan migrant during an encounter in Minnesota. In a separate case, Houston resident Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot during an ICE traffic stop; department records indicate he was not the subject of the underlying investigation. Both matters are under review by federal authorities.

Details of the Austin shooting remain limited pending further investigation. The administration has stated that agents follow use-of-force policies and that incidents are examined on their individual facts.