ICE Shoots Venezuelan DoorDash Driver in Austin Traffic Stop

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot a 28-year-old Venezuelan man working as a DoorDash driver during a traffic stop in north Austin on Sunday, leaving him wounded in the torso and prompting immediate protests against the Trump administration's expanding deportation operations.

Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez was delivering food when the shooting occurred around 12:55 p.m. near the intersection of U.S. 183 and Anderson Square. He was taken to a local hospital in serious but stable condition before being transferred into ICE custody. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, said he called his wife from the hospital while yelling in pain. Local police were not involved in the operation and arrived afterward to provide first aid, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said its investigative arm is leading the inquiry with FBI assistance. No details have been released on why agents stopped the vehicle or whether Garcés Pérez was a target of any enforcement action. A blue Toyota Corolla at the scene showed damage to the passenger-side door.

Protesters quickly gathered at the location, some carrying Mexican and Guatemalan flags and signs calling for ICE to leave Austin. Videos showed demonstrators blocking traffic nearby as Texas law enforcement responded with pepper balls and detained several people. The shooting comes after months of intensified ICE activity in the city and follows a separate fatal shooting of a Houston resident during an ICE traffic stop earlier this year.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, expressed anger at the incident during a joint news conference with city officials. He said residents deserve the truth and the right to feel safe, and noted that the surge in federal operations had left the community on edge. Watson added that the city would participate in the investigation and called the broader climate one of manufactured fear tied to enforcement tactics.

Texas Representative Greg Casar demanded a full independent review and the prompt release of body camera footage. He warned that previous cases have shown federal agencies cannot always be trusted to disclose complete facts. The Travis County District Attorney's office requested to join the probe and flagged the possibility of state law violations.

The incident unfolded against the backdrop of the Trump administration's renewed push for mass deportations and stricter border measures. Officials have defended the operations as essential for public safety, yet critics point to a pattern of aggressive encounters that have drawn scrutiny in multiple cities. Garcés Pérez had no apparent connection to any targeted investigation, according to available statements from his representatives.

Eyewitness accounts described federal agents standing near the vehicles without immediately rendering aid, though they stated an ambulance had been called. City officers administered first aid upon arrival. Local leaders, including state Senate candidate James Talarico, have joined calls for transparency and accountability, arguing that the circumstances require outside scrutiny rather than an internal review alone.

As details remain limited, the shooting has intensified debate over the methods used in current immigration enforcement and the lack of information provided to the public in its immediate aftermath.