ICE Agent Shoots Venezuelan DoorDash Driver in Austin Stop

An ICE agent shot and wounded a Venezuelan DoorDash driver in Austin, Texas, on Sunday as federal enforcement operations surged across the city under the Trump administration's renewed push for mass deportations. The incident left the driver, identified as Garces Perez, in hospital custody and yelling in pain during a call to his wife, according to his attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch.

Details of the shooting remain limited, but it occurred just before 1 p.m. local time. A blue Toyota Corolla at the scene showed damage to the passenger-side door. Dozens of protesters quickly gathered nearby, some waving Mexican and Guatemalan flags and holding signs calling for ICE to leave Austin. Local television footage captured the demonstration across the street from the vehicle while agents remained on site.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, addressed reporters the same day and stressed that residents deserve to know exactly what happened. He said people have a right to feel safe in their city and welcomed the city's role in the investigation. Watson also noted that ICE activity has increased sharply in Austin in recent weeks.

The shooting adds to a pattern of deadly or injurious encounters involving ICE agents. It follows the death of Houston resident Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was not a target of any ICE probe but was killed during a traffic stop, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Texas Congressman Greg Casar, also a Democrat, called for an immediate independent investigation and the prompt release of body camera footage.

The Trump administration has defended the expanded enforcement as essential for border security and public safety. Officials have pointed to campaign promises of large-scale removals, even as protests have broken out in multiple cities. Critics argue the tactics are overly aggressive and lack adequate oversight, especially when non-targeted individuals end up harmed.

Garces Perez was working a delivery shift when the encounter took place. His attorney described the hospital call as evidence of the immediate distress caused by the shooting. The driver remains in ICE custody while recovering. Community members in Austin have voiced concerns that such incidents erode trust and heighten fear among immigrant workers who rely on gig economy jobs.

Local outlets reported that the protest remained peaceful but vocal, with participants demanding transparency and accountability. The presence of flags from multiple countries underscored the diverse makeup of the city's immigrant population now feeling the effects of stepped-up federal actions.

Investigators from both ICE and city authorities are expected to examine the sequence of events, though no timeline for body camera release has been confirmed. Casar and other local leaders have pressed for the footage to be made public quickly to clarify whether the use of force was justified. In the meantime, the episode has intensified debate over how immigration enforcement is conducted in communities far from the border.