A Sunday immigration enforcement operation in Austin, Texas, ended with a Venezuelan DoorDash driver being shot and wounded by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, setting off protests and a growing dispute over what happened before the gunfire.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, was wounded in North Austin on September 20 and later released from a hospital into federal custody. Federal authorities say he had a final order of removal, while his attorney disputes the government’s account of his immigration status and says he entered the United States through the Biden administration’s CBP One process before obtaining work authorization.
The Department of Homeland Security said Homeland Security Investigations, assisted by the FBI, is investigating the shooting.
“Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is leading the investigation into the officer involved shooting of an illegal alien from Venezuela,” the Department of Homeland Security posted on X.
