Walkinshaw calls for an independent investigation and body-camera footage
James WalkinshawMember of the United States Congress
Rep. James Walkinshaw called for a full, independent investigation and release of body-camera footage, saying the public needed a full account before Garces Perez could be deported.
“ICE shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, while he was making a DoorDash delivery in Austin. Now he’s in ICE custody & they’re trying to quickly deport him before the public has a full account of what happened. We need a full, independent investigation and the body cam footage.”
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, Rep. James Walkinshaw said Garces Perez was shot while delivering for DoorDash, warned that ICE might deport him before a full public account, and called for an independent investigation and release of body-camera footage. The post is Walkinshaw’s statement and does not independently establish the underlying facts.
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?
On whether DHS should lead its own investigation, Walkinshaw rejects that arrangement: he notes ICE is "trying to quickly deport him before the public has a full account of what happened" and calls for "a full, independent investigation and the body cam footage" — an explicit demand for an inquiry outside DHS/ICE's control.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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“There must be an independent investigation, and the ICE officers who shot Wilber in the back should be held accountable.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Walkinshaw calls for an independent investigation and body-camera footage". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1435-rep-james-walkinshaw-called-for-a-full-independent