ACLU of Texas says the shooting "should never have happened"
ACLU of TexasCivil-rights organization, in an official press statement
ACLU of Texas said in a statement that the shooting should never have happened and that Garces Perez and his loved ones deserve answers and accountability, calling for a full, transparent and independent investigation and for his release from detention to receive medical care.
“This should never have happened in the first place. Wilber and his loved ones deserve answers and accountability.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Should ICE's use of force in the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez be condemned or condoned?
On September 20, 2026, an ICE officer shot and wounded Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national working as a DoorDash driver, during an immigration enforcement operation in North Austin, Texas. He was taken to Dell Seton Medical Center in serious but stable condition and later transferred into ICE custody. Garces Perez says an unmarked SUV struck his vehicle before he realized the people pursuing him were immigration officers, that he asked an agent if he could stop somewhere safer than under a freeway overpass, and that he was shot after the agent refused. On September 29, federal prosecutors charged him with assaulting and resisting a federal officer. In a sworn affidavit, they say he refused commands to get out of his car and drove off, hitting an officer with his side mirror, and that after a brief chase one officer says Garces Perez tried to hit him with the car, and the officer fired. DHS has confirmed the shooting and said Garces Perez was subject to a final removal order. The dispute is whether the use of force against him was justified.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
ACLU of Texas's official press-release statement, published September 21, 2026, calling the shooting unjustified, demanding a full, transparent and independent investigation, and calling for Garces Perez's release from immigration detention so he can receive adequate medical care.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The statement followed Garces Perez's own account of the shooting and calls from Austin officials and members of Congress for an independent investigation.
After the quotation
The statement did not identify specific evidence beyond Garces Perez's own account and did not address DHS's characterization of his immigration status.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
ACLU of Texas directly states the shooting should not have happened, which condemns the conduct under scrutiny rather than addressing only the separate question of who should investigate it.
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- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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Read the full caseKate Lincoln-Goldfinch criticizes ICE violence and medical care in the Garces Perez case
“This case really highlights the violence that we see with ICE on the streets and the bad medical care that people get in immigration detention.”Read statement
Lincoln-Goldfinch criticizes ICE oversight after Garces Perez's surgery
“His case demonstrates the dangers of giving an agency enormous resources and enforcement power without adequate oversight and accountability.”Read statement
Casar demands all footage from the Garces Perez shooting
“Secretary Mullin keeps making promises while his agents keep shooting people. Secretary Mullin must release every second of footage from that scene, so we can know the truth.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "ACLU of Texas says the shooting "should never have happened"". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1398-aclu-of-texas-said-in-a-statement-that