Lincoln-Goldfinch says Garces Perez "did not deserve to be shot"
Kate Lincoln-GoldfinchGarces Perez's immigration attorney, speaking on NewsNation Prime
Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Garces Perez's attorney, said on "NewsNation Prime" that regardless of his immigration status, he did not deserve to be shot.
“Even if he did have a final order of removal, he did not deserve to be shot in the back of the neck.”
Reporting
Other statements by Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch in this case
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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
Reporting
About this source
NewsNation reports Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Garces Perez's attorney, saying on "NewsNation Prime" that regardless of his immigration status, the shooting was not justified.
Before the quotation
The statement followed DHS's public description of Garces Perez as having a final removal order.
After the quotation
DHS has not publicly responded to this specific characterization of the shooting as unjustified.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Lincoln-Goldfinch directly says the shooting was not justified regardless of his immigration status, separating that question from his removal order rather than disputing only how the incident has been characterized.
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Read the full caseCasar 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
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas says the complaint alleges Garces Perez tried to hit an officer with his car, causing the officer to fire
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas
“The complaint alleges and body camera footage shows that after further direction from the officers in Spanish, Garces-Perez abruptly closed his window and drove off, striking one of the ICE ERO officers in the torso with the driver’s side-view mirror. The ICE ERO officers pursued Garces-Perez in their vehicles with their emergency lights and sirens activated. The complaint alleges Garces-Perez led them on a high-speed chase through a commercial and residential area. While one of the officers lost sight of Garces-Perez during the pursuit, the other ICE ERO officer caught up to Garces-Perez, who allegedly attempted to strike the officer with his car, causing the officer to fire his pistol.”Read statement
FLEOA president Silverman says judgment on the Austin ICE shooting should wait for investigators
“We should not decide the Austin case through social media, political rhetoric, or incomplete reporting. We should allow investigators to determine what happened, release the facts as legally appropriate, and hold everyone involved to the same standard. The public deserves transparency. The injured individual deserves due process. The officer deserves a fair and impartial investigation. Most importantly, the truth deserves the opportunity to emerge before judgment is rendered.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Lincoln-Goldfinch says Garces Perez "did not deserve to be shot"". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1419-kate-lincoln-goldfinch-garces-perez-s-attorney-said