Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch criticizes ICE violence and medical care in the Garces Perez case
Kate Lincoln-GoldfinchAttorney for Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, speaking after a community forum in Austin
Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said the case shows violence by ICE on the streets and poor medical care in immigration detention. CBS Austin quoted her after an October 4 community forum supporting Garces Perez.
“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.”
Interview
Reporting
Other statements by Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch in this case
- Lincoln-Goldfinch says Garces Perez "did not deserve to be shot"Earlier: Condemned
- Lincoln-Goldfinch criticizes ICE oversight after Garces Perez's surgeryEarlier: Condemned
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
Interview
About this source
CBS Austin covers an October 4 gathering of immigrant advocates, faith leaders and community members. Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch says Garces Perez is recovering from Thursday surgery, remains in a county jail facility and appreciates community support. The account supplies her update, not medical records or a resolution of the charge.
Reporting
About this source
CBS Austin reports from a Monday morning rally outside the Travis County Courthouse after the shooting of Wilber Garces Perez. Participants accuse state authorities of targeting protesters; their accounts of arrests and detention are attributed to them.
Before the quotation
CBS Austin reported on October 4 that Lincoln-Goldfinch spoke that day at a community forum. Its October 5 report quoted her criticism of ICE violence and medical care after that forum.
After the quotation
The attorney described community groups discussing support for Garces Perez and accountability for elected officials. Her comments are her assessment of the shooting and detention treatment, not a finding by the court.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Lincoln-Goldfinch describes the shooting and detention treatment as examples of violence and poor care. Her statement criticizes the conduct rather than only requesting an investigation.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
More from this case
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
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch criticizes ICE violence and medical care in the Garces Perez case
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/4848-kate-lincoln-goldfinch-said-the-case-shows-violence
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch criticizes ICE violence and medical care in the Garces Perez case". First published: 2026-10-06. Last updated: 2026-10-06. https://disputeindex.com/events/4848-kate-lincoln-goldfinch-said-the-case-shows-violence