ICE agent reportedly involved in Texas shooting
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that it is investigating the circumstances of the non-fatal incident, while the illegal alien who was reportedly shot awaits deportation in federal custody.
An illegal alien was reportedly shot Sunday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in a non-fatal incident. According to multiple reports, an illegal alien from Venezuela was shot in the torso in Austin, Texas, while working as a DoorDash delivery driver, although federal and local authorities have not publicly shared the details of what led up to the shooting.
The illegal alien, later identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, was briefly hospitalized and was released Sunday night before being taken into federal custody to await deportation.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the incident to determine what happened and how. The agency said in a statement on X that Perez entered the U.S. illegally under former president Joe Biden and has been issued a final order of removal.
Perez’s lawyer, however, claims that he entered the U.S. legally, evidently based on the Venezuelan national’s work authorization.
“We are actively working to obtain additional information and clarify the circumstances surrounding the matter. We do not want to speculate or provide information that has not yet been confirmed,” said attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, in a statement shared with Fox News.
Austin’s Democratic Mayor Kirk Watson scolded ICE in an X post, casting the incident as unnecessary and avoidable.
“I am very angry and extremely disappointed that a person was shot on the streets of Austin by ICE,” he said. “While I’m angry and disappointed, I’m not surprised. This has happened in other cities. With the rogue nature of ICE and the chaos we’re seeing fomented by ICE, there’s no reason to be surprised.”
He emphasized that the Austin Police Department (APD) was not involved in immigration enforcement operations and suggested that APD and the Texas Rangers should assist in investigating the incident.
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