Judge blocks deportation of Venezuelan man shot by ICE; doctor says he needs spinal surgery
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, shot by an ICE officer in Austin while delivering for DoorDash, remains in federal custody as a court fight over his treatment and deportation continues.
Part of a larger narrative
ICE Shooting in Austin
- ICE Officer Who Shot Venezuelan Man in Austin Had No Body Camera
- ICE mistakenly detains, injures US citizen in Evanston, Illinois
- Judge blocks deportation of Venezuelan man shot by ICE; doctor says he needs spinal surgeryyou are here
What to know
- ICE agents allegedly rammed Perez's vehicle twice before shooting him during a food delivery; he had no criminal history or removal order.
- Perez was discharged from hospital treatment into ICE custody within hours, sparking accusations of a cover-up and demands for body-camera footage.
- A federal judge has temporarily blocked his deportation and ordered him to remain in Texas ahead of a September 30 hearing.
- A Democratic congressman says a specialist has told Perez he needs surgery to remove a bullet lodged near his spine, after earlier reports of partial paralysis.
The dispute Whether the shooting reflects a systemic, deliberate pattern of ICE violence and cover-up versus an isolated incident now under judicial and congressional review. · positions read across 271 posts and comments
ICE is a violent, unaccountable agency that should be abolished or radically reformed.
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“This is so insane. Why do they have guns at all? Why are they ramming people with cars? Immigration stuff is all civil not criminal infractions. Then half the time they're wrong. What are we doing? Abolish ICE.”
bearku.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
The hospital discharge and custody treatment amount to a deliberate cover-up and medical neglect.
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“He never should have been DISCHARGED from the ER into the hands of ICE in the first place. He had a BULLET in his BACK and ICE took him and threw him into a cell where he laid on the floor all night, becoming partially paralyzed. LAWSUIT…”
flyovercountry76.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
The video and circumstances raise doubts about whether the use of force was legally justified.
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“There is a video. I don't want to link to it in case it's fake, but if it is genuine, it doesn't look like the ICE agent should have even drawn his weapon let alone shot Perez.”
calvinkclark.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
The pattern of enforcement in Democratic-led cities looks politically motivated ahead of the midterms.
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“The focus on blue cities and states seems entirely deliberate as we enter midterms.”
steadymoon.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
“He was shot and taken to a hospital, she said, then released into ICE custody with a bullet still in his back.”
Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Perez's attorney (via AP) · Associated Press broadcast ↗ · Sep 22
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez Venezuelan DoorDash driver shot by ICEKate Lincoln-Goldfinch Perez's immigration attorneyRep. Walkinshaw Democratic congressmanOrlando L. Garcia U.S. District JudgeU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Federal agency whose officer shot Perez
How it unfolded 8 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments
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Congressman says Perez needs surgery for bullet near spine
A Democratic congressman said a specialist has told Perez he needs surgery to remove the bullet lodged near his spine.
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"More than 20 people have been shot by federal immigration agents since Trump took office in January 2025. Six people, including three U.S. citizens, have been killed in those shootings, nearly all of which involved officers firing at people in vehicles." https://www. nytimes.com/2026/09/20/us/ice- shooting-austin-texas.html # DonaldTrump # Trump…
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Federal judge blocks Perez's deportation
U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia ordered that Perez remain in Texas while authorities investigate the shooting, setting a court hearing for September 30.
“How convenient. When they get away with it it just guarantees it will happen again.”
— thetnholler.bsky.social, Bluesky user · source -
3 outlets first by UPI, 10h ago · also Independent UK, Philadelphia Inquirer · read ↗
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first by Washington Examiner, 16h ago
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How convenient. When they get away with it it just guarantees it will happen again.
2 more of the top 3 · 3 posts in this stretch
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What's a pardon, a document saying you can't get arrested and punished for something? Sounds like the documents that citizens have that say they can't be arrested and punished by ICE. So just... do what ICE does?
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More AOC, Less Schumer. Actually, right now, I'm imaging James Traficcant. remember that union guy, probably from Pa or something....he was a brawler. Corrupt...maybe, but a fighter, and that's what we need.
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Austin police release new video of the shooting
The Austin Police Department released additional video footage of the incident, which CBS News covered in detail.
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first by NYT, 1d ago · also New York Times
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2 outlets first by KEYT-TV, 3d ago · also Texas Tribune · read ↗
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He never should have been DISCHARGED from the ER into the hands of ICE in the first place. He had a BULLET in his BACK and ICE took him and threw him into a cell where he laid on the floor all night, becoming partially paralyzed. LAWSUIT TIME.
2 more of the top 3 · 25 posts in this stretch
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Man shot and detained by ICE hospitalized for partial paralysis, lawyer says (Washington Post) https://www. washingtonpost.com/immigration /2026/09/22/man-shot-detained-by-ice-is-hospitalized-partial-paralysis-lawyer-says/ http://www. memeorandum.com/260922/p113#a2 60922p113
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Man shot and detained by ICE hospitalized for partial paralysis, lawyer says - washingtonpost.com
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Perez rehospitalized with reported partial paralysis
Perez's attorney said he was back in the hospital after developing partial paralysis, days after being held in a detention facility with a bullet still lodged in his back.
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first by Jerusalem Post, 1d ago · also Hindustan Times, The Hill, CBS News, KVUE, Straits Times, Texas Monthly +4
12 more headlines
- Man shot by ICE in Texas back in hospital due to bullet in the back Hindustan Times · 1d ago
- Man shot by ICE officer in Texas back in hospital, attorney says The Hill · 1d ago
- Man shot by ICE returns to hospital from detention center with left-side paralysis, attorney says CBS News · 1d ago
- Texas man shot in the back by ICE says he's "not doing well," returns to hospital CBS News · 1d ago
- Man shot by ICE agent in North Austin now back in detention after being transferred to hospital: attorney KVUE · 1d ago
- Venezuelan man shot by ICE agents is back in the hospital for paralysis treatment, lawyer says Straits Times · 1d ago
- The Man Shot by ICE in Austin Speaks Texas Monthly · 1d ago
- Man shot by ICE in Texas is back in hospital, says bullet is lodged near his spine CBS News · 1d ago
- Man shot and detained by ICE is hospitalized for partial paralysis, lawyer says Washington Post · 1d ago
- Man shot by ICE, detained in Texas with a bullet in his back is back in the hospital, attorney says Philadelphia Inquirer · 1d ago
- Man shot by ICE in Austin released from hospital, back in detention, attorney says ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos · 1d ago
- Man shot by ICE in Austin being held in detention center with bullet in his back, lawyer says CBS News · 1d ago
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National attention is the only reason he's back in the hospital, otherwise ICE would've let him die in detention like dozens of other detainees across the country have Every ICE agent needs to be investigated
2 more of the top 3 · 35 posts in this stretch
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BREAKING: Man shot by ICE and removed from hospital despite bullet still in back is now partially paralyzed and back in hospital
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Is it a child rapist(s) in the White House? Bombing schools? War? Shooting innocent people in the streets? Destroying accessible health care? Bulldozing national parks? Anti-vaxxers in charge of of health system? Kidnapping people by masked goons without warrants? Concentration camps? Open corruption and profiteering? Threatening to end democracy…
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Congressman demands investigation and body-cam footage
Rep. Walkinshaw publicly identified Perez, said ICE was trying to deport him before the public learned the full account, and called for an independent investigation.
“We need a full, independent investigation and the body cam footage.”
— @Rep_Walkinshaw -
first by ABC News, 2d ago · also PennLive, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Orlando Sentinel, Baltimore Sun, Mercury News +13
13 more headlines
- Texas Man Shot by ICE Agent Speaks of His Condition From Detention Center Mastodon · 2d ago
- Venezuelan man shot by ICE officer detained in Texas with bullet in back, attorney says PennLive · 2d ago
- Man shot by ICE officer is detained in Texas with a bullet still in his back, attorney's office says Los Angeles Times · 2d ago
- Man shot by ICE officer detained in Texas with a bullet still in his back, attorney says Japan Today · 2d ago
- Man shot by ICE in Texas being interrogated with bullet still in back, attorney says Washington Examiner · 2d ago
- Man shot by ICE agent in Texas facing deportation CBS News · 2d ago
- Man shot by ICE officer is detained in Texas with a bullet still in his back, attorney says Star Tribune · 2d ago
- Man shot by ICE being detained with bullet still in his back, lawyer says CBS News · 2d ago
- Texas Man Shot by ICE Agent Offers His Own Account of Altercation NYT · 2d ago
- Man shot by ICE agent in Texas detained with bullet inside him: Lawyer Straits Times · 2d ago
- Man shot by ICE agents in Texas says he is in detention with bullet in back Straits Times · 2d ago
- Man shot by ICE in custody with bullet lodged near his spine, lawyer says CBS News · 2d ago
- Lawyer: Venezuelan man shot by ICE moved to detention center UPI · 2d ago
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first by MassLive, 2d ago · also KEYT-TV, CNN, New York Times, Guardian, Boston Globe
4 more headlines
- A Venezuelan man was shot by ICE in Austin while doing deliveries. Here's what we know KEYT-TV · 2d ago
- Man Shot by ICE Agent Says His Car Was Struck Twice Before He Was Shot New York Times · 2d ago
- Venezuelan man shot by ICE agent as enforcement surges in Austin Mastodon · 2d ago
- ICE agents encountered Austin man by chance before shooting him Boston Globe · 2d ago
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ICE shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, while he was making a DoorDash delivery in Austin. Now he’s in ICE custody & they’re trying to quickly deport him before the public has a full account of what happened. We need a full, independent investigation and the body cam footage.
2 more of the top 3 · 76 posts in this stretch
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Merely hours after the shooting, a man was abruptly discharged from the hospital & taken directly into ICE custody. His family & their immigration lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, reported that they were initially kept in the dark by the hospital & have not been told exactly where he is detained.
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ICE shot a man in Austin yesterday. And before hospital staff could take the bullet out of his back ICE agents terminated his medical care and took him to a prison where he slept without a bed and without any further medical treatment. # FuckICE # Austin # Texas
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Perez discharged from hospital directly into ICE custody
Hours after the shooting, Perez was released from the hospital into ICE custody with a bullet still in his back; his attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said she and his family were kept in the dark and run off hospital property.
“The man ICE shot in Austin today is named Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. Per his lawyer, she and Perez’s family were run off of hospital property where he’s being treated and won’t even confirm he’s there because he’s “in ICE custody.” Actual criminals.”
— marisakabas.bsky.social -
first by Straits Times, 3d ago · also Reuters, NPR, The New York Times, The Hindu, Channel News Asia, Guardian +2
7 more headlines
- ICE agent wounds man in Austin, Texas, shooting, city officials say Straits Times · 3d ago
- Federal immigration agent shoots and injures man in Austin, Texas NPR · 3d ago
- ICE Agent Shoots Venezuelan Immigrant in Austin, Local Authorities Say The New York Times · 3d ago
- ICE agent shoots, wounds man in Austin The Hindu · 3d ago
- ICE agent wounds man in Austin, Texas, shooting: Officials Channel News Asia · 3d ago
- ICE agent shoots and wounds man at traffic stop in Austin, Texas, officials say Guardian US · 3d ago
- US immigration agent shoots and wounds 1 person in Texas Anadolu Agency · 3d ago
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The man ICE shot in Austin today is named Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. Per his lawyer, she and Perez’s family were run off of hospital property where he’s being treated and won’t even confirm he’s there because he’s “in ICE custody.” Actual criminals.
2 more of the top 3 · 88 posts in this stretch
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🇺🇸🇻🇪 The delivery driver shot by an ICE officer in Austin has been identified, and DHS and his lawyer are telling 2 completely different stories about him. He's Wilber Rafael Garces Perez from Venezuela, and DHS sources told Fox News he's here illegally with a final order of
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded a man Sunday afternoon in Austin, Texas, local authorities said, and anti-ICE protesters quickly gathered at the scene. https:// apnews.com/article/austin-texa…
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Protests erupt in Austin over the shooting
Anti-ICE protests broke out at the scene and around the city demanding transparency about the shooting and the man's condition.
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BREAKING: An ICE agent shoots and wounds a man in Austin, Texas, officials say.
2 more of the top 3 · 42 posts in this stretch
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A federal immigration agent shot a person in Austin, officials in the Texas city said.
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# ICE agent shoots man in # Austin , # Texas The ICE officer rammed the man’s car then got out of his federal vehicle & opened fire at least 5 times, said Mike Siegel, who represents Austin’s District 7. The # shooting occurred in the early afternoon on the city’s north side, & police & the mayor later spoke about the details of the incident. The…
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ICE officer shoots Wilber Rafael Garces Perez during DoorDash delivery
An ICE officer shot and wounded Perez, 28, in Austin, Texas on Sunday afternoon after agents in an unmarked truck allegedly sideswiped his car twice; Austin police said he was in serious but stable condition.
“Local authorities say a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer has shot and wounded a man in Austin, Texas.”
— Associated Press -
first by CTV News, 1d ago · also Mercury News, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, KOMU 8, SCMP, CNBC +13
1 more headline
- ICE agent shoots and wounds man in Austin, Texas, officials say apnews.com · 1d ago
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10 outlets Venezuelan Door Dash driver shot and wounded by ICE agent in Austin, Texas, officials say
first by CNN, 3d ago · also CBC, UPI, Austin American-Statesman, Sky News, Le Monde EN, Deutsche Welle EN +3
8 more headlines
- ICE agent shot and wounded man in Austin, Texas, officials say CBC · 3d ago
- Man shot, wounded by U.S. immigration agents in Austin, Texas UPI · 3d ago
- Austin man shot by ICE agent was making DoorDash delivery, attorney says Austin American-Statesman · 3d ago
- ICE agent shoots man in Texas after traffic stop, city officials say Sky News · 3d ago
- Man hospitalized in Texas after being shot by ICE agent Le Monde EN · 3d ago
- US: Man wounded in Texas after being shot by ICE agent Deutsche Welle EN · 3d ago
- Venezuelan man shot and injured by ICE agent in Texas, officials say Euronews · 2d ago
- ICE agent shoots and wounds Venezuelan migrant in Texas El Pais English · 2d ago
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JUST IN: Man shot by ICE agent in Austin, Texas
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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by HuffPost, 1d ago · also Philadelphia Inquirer, WTOP News, CBS News
2 more headlines
- What to know about a Venezuelan man shot by an ICE officer in Texas Philadelphia Inquirer · 1d ago
- Austin police release new video of Venezuelan man shot by ICE CBS News · 1d ago
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first by SCMP, 1d ago · also NBC News, Independent UK
2 more headlines
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first by Austin American-Statesman, 1d ago · also FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, FOX 7 Austin
1 more headline
- Austin ICE shooting: Federal judge grants emergency order to stop man's deportation FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth · 1d ago
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first by Courthouse News, 2d ago · also Hindustan Times, Courthouse News Service
1 more headline
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first by Philadelphia Inquirer, 1d ago · also WTOP News
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first by El Pais English, 1d ago · also El País
1 more headline
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first by MercoPress, 2d ago · also Rio Times
1 more headline
- Austin ICE Shooting Leaves Venezuelan Delivery Driver Wounded and in Custody Rio Times · 2d ago
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first by The Guardian, 2d ago · also Guardian
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first by Hindustan Times, 3d ago · also Newsweek
1 more headline
- Who is Wilber Rafael Garces Perez? DoorDash Worker Shot by ICE in Austin Newsweek · 2d ago
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first by Townhall, 3d ago · also KVUE
2 more headlines
- ICE agent shoots, wounds person in North Austin Mastodon · 3d ago
- Person injured in shooting involving ICE officer in North Austin KVUE · 3d ago
and 9 smaller pieces
What people are saying 11 voices from 4 sites · best of 271 · verbatim
- What is ICE trying to cover up in Austin now?
- Will there be consequences this time?
- Is the shooting video that's circulating genuine?
- Sep 21
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"This candidate isn't a pristine paragon of all my virtues, so they're worthless!" Has got to be one of the worst lines of thinking in politics. Often though I feel its just a cover for simpler reasoning that they rather not admit. I'm so tired of people voting for people they like verses who is qualified and capable of doing the job .
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the only people still supporting this administration are the ones who want a Christian-Ethnostate, regardless of the cost. The worst part is they think they want it, but if they actually had to live it, they'd want out of it as soon as fucking possible. There's a reason matricide used to be so common in the US before no fault divorce. And that's…
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Distressing update from Wilber’s lawyer via IG a short while ago:
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The incident comes just two months after another man was shot and killed by ICE agents in Texas during an enforcement operation where he was not the target.
- Sep 20
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I'm fortunate enough that it's not happening in my area. Yet. And I'm not Kyle Rittenhouse. Just because you're a fucking coward who won't stand up for your rights and your country doesn't mean others aren't willing to. Go work in a slave camp now if that's all you're willing to do
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A federal immigration agent shot and wounded a man on Sunday in Austin, authorities said.
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"“The horror has come to our city: ICE has shot a person in # Austin this morning,” Rep. Greg Casar, who represents the area in # Congress , said in a statement. “I am demanding a full, independent investigation, immediate release of the body camera footage, and accountability for any # ICE officer who broke the law.” This is the second Texas ICE…
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BREAKING: An ICE-involved shooting in Austin, Texas is being investigated. @Max_Gorden has the latest on the situation.
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WATCH: Person shot by ICE agent in Austin, Texas during confrontation involving vehicle. The suspect was hospitalized in unknown condition as a result of the shooting.
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A federal immigration official shot and injured a man in Austin on Sunday afternoon, according to the Austin American-Statesman. The man was transported to a hospital. His identity and condition are currently unknown. It’s not immediately clear what led up to the shooting.
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ICE has again shot someone on the streets of an American city. https://www. houstonchronicle.com/news/loca l/article/ice-agent-shooting-north-austin-22440850.php







