Summary: A 28-year-old Venezuelan delivery driver, Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, was shot by an ICE agent in north Austin. The agent who fired was not wearing his assigned body camera, and available footage only shows the aftermath and partial interactions. Medical reports and immigration records are disputed; Garcés Pérez remains in ICE custody while federal and local investigations proceed and a federal judge has temporarily blocked his deportation.
Questions Multiply After ICE Agent Shoots Delivery Driver in Austin — Bodycam Wasn’t Worn
Authorities deploy less-lethal weapons near a demonstration where a man was shot by an ICE officer, September 20, 2026, Austin.
Three days after a Venezuelan delivery driver was shot and wounded by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in north Austin, many core details remain unresolved — most critically because the agent who fired was not wearing his assigned body camera.
What happened
The incident occurred just before 1 p.m. near Anderson Square and Research Boulevard. Social-media video shows an unmarked SUV driven by ICE agents colliding with or sideswiping a blue Toyota Corolla belonging to 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez. Footage from a bystander captures an ICE agent exiting the vehicle with a firearm and at least three shots being fired in the direction of the Corolla; one shot appears to have struck the driver.
Medical and custody timeline
Garcés Pérez was taken to Dell Seton Medical Center and, according to Austin officials, was released into ICE custody Sunday night in “stable” condition. He later said — through a translator and his attorney — that doctors left a bullet in his body because it was close to his spine. After publicly describing his pain and insufficient treatment, his attorney said Garcés Pérez was returned to a hospital, given morphine, and released again to immigration detention with the bullet still lodged near his spine.
Demonstrators gather in response to the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, September 21, 2026.
Conflicting accounts about the wound
Officials have provided different descriptions of the wound: Austin-Travis County EMS leadership described a torso injury at a Sunday briefing, while the attorney said the wound was in the back of his neck/left shoulder area. Body-worn camera footage released by the Austin Police Department (APD) documents the immediate aftermath and shows Garcés Pérez holding his left shoulder and an exposed, bleeding gunshot wound.
Immigration status disputed
Lincoln-Goldfinch, Garcés Pérez’s attorney, says he entered the U.S. lawfully in 2024 as an asylum seeker on a parole program and had a valid work permit. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told reporters that his work permit expired last year and that a judge issued a final order of removal after he missed an immigration hearing. The attorney says Garcés Pérez missed the hearing because notice had been sent to an old address. These conflicting accounts have become part of the debate over his treatment and custody status.
Video, bodycams and investigations
Lincoln-Goldfinch speaks at a news conference a day after Garcés Pérez was wounded in an ICE operation in Austin, September 21, 2026.
APD has released bodycam footage showing officers’ actions after the shooting, but officials acknowledge the ICE agent who fired was not wearing his issued camera. NBC News reported that another ICE agent on scene wore a body camera that captured partial footage, but that recording reportedly does not include the moment shots were fired. DHS has not yet released any ICE-held footage publicly. DHS is leading a federal investigation while Travis County prosecutors and local authorities are also conducting inquiries.
Political and community response
Local leaders, immigrant advocates and Congressman Greg Casar have demanded a full, independent investigation and the release of any footage. The Travis County District Attorney’s Office asked DHS leadership to pause removal proceedings while the probe continues, and a federal judge temporarily blocked Garcés Pérez’s deportation on emergency order — citing concerns that removing him could interfere with the investigation.
Current status
Garcés Pérez remains in ICE custody while multiple investigations proceed, and it is not yet clear whether DHS will release additional footage. DoorDash confirmed he was making a delivery for the company at the time and said it is investigating. News outlets have contacted DHS, ICE and the defense attorney for comment and are awaiting further information.
Note: Video and official accounts differ on key details. Authorities say the shooting followed a pursuit that ended nearby; available video does not show whether there was an exchange immediately before shots were fired.
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