The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, responsible for shooting Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in Austin, Texas, was not equipped with a body camera. The incident occurred as Garces Perez, a Venezuelan delivery driver, was working for DoorDash. According to local authorities and his attorney, Garces Perez has a deportation order.
This shooting is part of President Trump’s intense approach to illegal immigration enforcement. It has led to protests in Texas demanding accountability and a transparent, independent investigation. The absence of body camera footage, reported initially by The Atlantic, is likely to intensify scrutiny of the incident.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had previously assured that all ICE officers would have body cameras by the end of September. He stated confidence in this timeline at a press conference in New York. However, the Department of Homeland Security has not commented on why the officer in question lacked a body camera during the shooting.
Garces Perez’s medical condition remains controversial. After being hospitalized on Sunday, ICE took him into custody, alleging he is unlawfully in the U.S. with a final deportation order. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas reported that Garces Perez returned to the hospital on Monday. He complained of numbness on his left side and suspected a bullet remained lodged in his back.
By Tuesday, Garces Perez was back at the South Texas Detention Complex in Pearsall. Rep. Castro planned to visit him on Wednesday. The attorney for Garces Perez, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, expressed concerns about his treatment. She reported, “Today, he tells me he is receiving only Tylenol and ibuprofen for pain. He remains isolated, on a flat bed, and without the tablet he previously used to communicate.”
Lincoln-Goldfinch filed a habeas petition for Garces Perez’s release on constitutional grounds. On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Orlando Garcia ordered Garces Perez’s presence in a court hearing on September 30. This order temporarily halts his deportation until the hearing is concluded.