Who is Wilber Rafael Garces Perez? DoorDash Worker Shot by ICE in Austin - Newsweek

The man shot and wounded by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Sunday while delivering food for DoorDash in Austin, Texas, has been identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan man.

The shooting took place before 1 p.m. local time near Anderson Square and Research Boulevard, in the city’s north side, though many of the details of the incident remain to be clarified. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said that the city’s police officers were not involved in the shooting.

During a news conference on Sunday, Chief of Austin-Travis County EMS Robert Luckritz said he believes the man was shot once in the torso. He was transported to Dell Seton Medical Center and was listed as being in a serious but stable condition.

Newsweek contacted the Austin Police Department and ICE for comment by email on Monday morning, outside of standard working hours.

Garces Perez was named by immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, who told CBS that he was working for DoorDash at the time of the shooting, and said he called his wife from his car while "yelling in pain." DoorDash confirmed to CBS he was in the process of delivering food for the company when he was shot.

Lincoln-Goldfinch told the outlet that Garces Perez was released from Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas on Sunday night and sent to "what we believe is ICE custody." Lincoln-Goldfinch told NPR that Garces Perez is married to a woman who has legal status to be in the United States.

She told CBS that "based on the information available" he "entered the United States lawfully," however did not comment on his current immigration status.

Lincoln-Goldfinch said that Garces Perez has no criminal history and has lived in Austin for roughly two years, as reported by the Austin American-Statesman. His wife has only been identified by the attorney as “Elizdar.”

Newsweek contacted Lincoln-Goldfinch for comment by email on Monday morning.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson called Garces Perez an "illegal alien" in a statement to Newsweek, saying: "Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is leading the investigation into the officer involved [in the] shooting of an illegal alien from Venezuela, who illegally entered our country under the Biden administration and had a final order of removal, during a law enforcement operation today in Austin, TX.

"The illegal alien’s condition is stable, and he is in federal custody pending removal. This is a developing situation, and we will update the public when more information becomes available."

In a video shared on Instagram on Sunday evening, Lincoln-Goldfinch said that Garces Perez’s wife spent hours between the hospital and the scene of the incident on the day trying to find out what had happened to her husband. They were “run off the property by six officers,” the attorney said, referring to the hospital.

In a follow-up video, Lincoln-Goldfinch mentioned seeing images of Garces Perez suggesting he was shot in the back of the neck.

U.S. Representative Greg Casar, who represents Texas’ 35th Congressional District, which includes East Austin, called on social media to prevent the removal of Garces Perez from the country.

“If ICE deports him, the key witness to their shooting disappears. He must not be removed from this country, and he must receive proper medical care,” he wrote on X.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson helped Garces Perez’s wife and attorney get information on his wellbeing, going to the hospital were he was being treated and eventually letting them know he was stable, according to Lincoln-Goldfinch.

Watson, a Democrat, said that he was “very angry and extremely disappointed that a person was shot on the streets of Austin by ICE,” adding, however, that he was not surprised. Mentioning the “rogue nature of ICE,” the mayor called for the Austin police to be involved in the investigation, saying he wants them to provide “clear, third-party eyes” in the process.

Chief Davis asked the Texas Rangers to assist in an investigation, the mayor said.

Photos taken after the incident shared by news agencies show a visibly damaged blue Toyota Corolla with apparent bullet holes on the passenger-side door, while ICE agents are standing nearby and preventing demonstrators gathering at the scene from passing through.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Tony Phillips.