Call to Halt Deportation of Key Witness in ICE Shooting

One of the largest Hispanic civil rights organizations in the United States has urged authorities not to deport a Venezuelan immigrant involved in a shooting during an ICE pursuit in Austin. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) emphasized the importance of the immigrant, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, as a crucial witness in the investigation of the incident.

Garces Perez, shot by an agent during a traffic stop, remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition. The shooting prompted protests in Austin and requests for an independent investigation. ‘Wilber is a victim of the shooting and the most important witness to it. You do not deport the key witness to your own officers’ use of force,’ LULAC CEO Juan Peruano stated.

Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, representing Garces Perez and his wife, said Garces Perez was delivering for DoorDash when an unmarked vehicle sideswiped him. Believing he was under attack, Garces Perez made a U-turn and was pursued further. ‘The agents came out and shot him in the back of the neck and pulled him out of the car,’ Lincoln-Goldfinch reported. She highlighted concerns about inadequate medical attention and suffering.

Garces Perez had a work permit and was seeking asylum in the U.S. since 2024, after entering via the CBP One app. He reportedly received a deportation order due to a notice sent to an outdated address, despite having updated his information with the court. ‘He changed his address with the immigration court, and a notice of hearing was sent to his old address. He didn’t know he had a hearing. He didn’t go. And so he got a deportation order in absentia, which is a very common thing,’ the attorney explained.

Lincoln-Goldfinch criticized ICE and DHS for allegedly providing false information. ‘We are fed up with ICE and DHS telling us lies about what has happened in these incidents where people are being murdered and shot,’ she stated.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett echoed the demand for accountability, accusing federal immigration officials of dishonesty. ‘ICE has no credibility anymore. It lies. We know it lies. We’ve seen it demonstrated again and again, and we need the kind of independent structure to demand some accountability,’ he remarked.

DHS confirmed Garces Perez’s illegal entry into the U.S. and his status as an illegal immigrant with a pending removal order. His condition remains stable, and he remains in federal custody, according to DHS statements.