Padilla calls for an independent investigation of the Garces Perez shooting
Alex PadillaMember of the United States Congress
Sen. Alex Padilla said ICE shootings cannot continue without consequences and called for an independent and transparent investigation into the Garces Perez shooting. His call rejects reliance on a DHS-led inquiry alone.
“ICE can’t keep shooting people in our communities without any consequences. I’m calling for an independent and transparent investigation because this should have never happened to 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a DoorDash driver who was trying to make a delivery.”
Original post
Where this statement fits
Should DHS lead the investigation of the ICE shooting of a delivery driver in Austin?
On September 20, 2026, according to Austin officials, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan DoorDash driver, in North Austin, Texas. DHS said Homeland Security Investigations, with FBI assistance, would lead the investigation and described him as an “illegal alien” with a final order of removal who is in federal custody pending removal. His attorney disputes that he entered illegally and says he has a valid work permit. Austin's mayor, Democratic members of Congress and the League of United Latin American Citizens question DHS's and ICE's credibility and have called for an independent investigation. Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican, repeated DHS's description of the man. On September 29, federal prosecutors charged him with assaulting and resisting a federal officer, and the U.S. Attorney's Office said ICE's Homeland Security Investigations is investigating that case.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
In a direct post, Sen. Alex Padilla called for an independent and transparent investigation into the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez and said it should not have happened.
Before the quotation
The statement followed the September 20 Austin shooting, DHS’s announcement that Homeland Security Investigations would lead the inquiry, and public calls for an investigation outside DHS or ICE.
After the quotation
The post calls for an independent or full investigation but does not itself resolve the disputed facts about the shooting or specify the full investigative structure.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
DHS's account of the shooting and its choice to have HSI lead the investigation. Padilla says ICE "can't keep shooting people... without any consequences" and calls for an "independent and transparent investigation," rejecting a DHS/ICE-led inquiry as sufficient. That's a direct rejection of DHS's chosen investigative process, so condemns holds.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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- Padilla calls for an independent investigation of the Garces Perez shooting
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The Dispute Index. "Padilla calls for an independent investigation of the Garces Perez shooting". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1433-sen-alex-padilla-said-ice-shootings-cannot-continue