Venezuelan Shot by ICE Agent Remains in Texas Detention Center, According to His Lawyer
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
The legal defense for Venezuelan migrant Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, reported that he is currently detained at the Pearsall, Texas immigration detention center after being shot during an ICE operation in north Austin. Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, who represents the migrant's family, stated that Garcés Pérez was shot in the torso during an encounter with federal agents. Following the incident, he was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, the federal agency that oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stated in a release on Sunday that the man was stable and in federal custody, awaiting deportation from the United States. According to the legal representative, Garcés Pérez was not receiving pain medication after being transferred to the detention center. The attorney also indicated that the migrant managed to call his wife after being shot. However, she reported that when she went to the hospital, she was unable to see him because, she said, both hospital security personnel and ICE agents prevented her access. Lincoln-Goldfinch also stated that hospital lawyers informed her that Garcés Pérez had been discharged at 4:30 p.m., but she did not receive that information until around 6:00 p.m., approximately an hour and a half later. On Monday, Garcés Pérez's legal defense and the organization LULAC will hold a press conference to demand an investigation into the incident and seek justice in the case. The incident has also sparked protests at the shooting site, where participants questioned the actions of immigration authorities and called for a thorough review of what occurred. So far, authorities have not revealed further details about the circumstances that led a federal agent to use his firearm. The DHS spokesperson reported that Garcés Pérez entered the country illegally during former President Joe Biden's administration and that he had a final order of removal. DHS has not provided information on whether the agent involved in the incident was wearing a body camera, nor whether Garcés Pérez was the target of an operation or had any criminal history beyond an immigration violation.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
