ICE Officer Shooting in Austin Leaves Venezuelan DoorDash Worker Seriously Injured
An ICE officer shot and seriously wounded a Venezuelan man on Sunday, September 20, 2026, in North Austin, Texas, according to his lawyer. The victim, identified as Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, was delivering food for DoorDash when the shooting occurred near Anderson Square and Research Boulevard. The incident has sparked concerns about the treatment of immigrants and the integrity of ongoing investigations.
Representative Greg Casar, a Democrat representing Austin, warned that “if ICE deports him, the key witness to their shooting disappears.” This statement underscores the potential legal and ethical complications if the victim, who is also a key witness, is removed from the country. Many details of the incident remain unclear, and it is not yet known what led to the shooting.
The shooting comes amid a broader context of violence involving ICE officers. In July 2026, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian man, was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Biddeford, Maine, during a traffic stop. Six days after another killing, Salgado Araujo’s, a similar incident occurred. These cases highlight a troubling pattern of lethal force by ICE agents.
Additionally, the article notes that a majority of Venezuelan migrants previously had legal status shielding them from deportation, most through Temporary Protected Status (TPS). However, protection for the remaining Venezuelan TPS holders is scheduled to expire in October, leaving many vulnerable. The shooting of Garcés Pérez raises urgent questions about the safety and rights of immigrants, particularly those in precarious legal situations.
Shimanta Das 
