A 28-year-old Venezuelan man, Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez, was returned to a hospital on Monday, September 21, 2026, after being held in federal immigration custody with a bullet lodged in his back. An officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot Garcés Perez on Sunday, September 20, during a vehicle pursuit in North Austin, Texas.
The shooting occurred around 1 p.m. while Garcés Perez was reportedly delivering food for DoorDash. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Garcés Perez had entered the country illegally and was subject to a final order of removal. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) stated they were requested to assist ICE in a pursuit involving a blue Toyota Corolla, but the shooting occurred before state troopers arrived at the scene.
Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, who represents Garcés Perez, stated that her client was briefly released from a local hospital to the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall on Monday morning. While in custody, Garcés Perez reportedly told his attorney he was being interrogated and had not received pain medication despite the projectile remaining in his body. DHS confirmed the man was in federal custody pending removal and described his condition as stable, but they did not comment on the specific allegations regarding medical care or interrogation.
For individuals like Garcés Perez and his wife, a legal resident, the concrete day-to-day change is an immediate loss of income and physical injury that requires specialized medical intervention. An ordinary reader in the affected area would have noticed significant disruptions, including the deployment of tear gas by DPS troopers against protesters on Sunday night and the temporary closure of roads near Highway 183. The long-term impact involves legal precedents regarding the oversight of federal agents and the rights of detainees to medical care while in custody.
The knock-on effects include a formal demand for a congressional briefing by U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) and calls from the League of United Latin American Citizens for independent oversight of immigration enforcement. These actions could lead to changes in how ICE handles vehicle pursuits and public transparency regarding body camera footage. What happens next includes an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI, as well as a requested briefing for Congress by September 28, 2026. The Travis County District Attorney's Office has also requested to be a partner in the investigation.