Jacqueline Arias-Bryant
Role at the time: Executive Director of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus
Statement summary
Jacqueline Arias-Bryant, executive director of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, said Texans were paying the price of the administration's immigration crackdown. She asked Governor Abbott to demand a full, transparent investigation and an immediate end to ICE traffic stops.
“Another man has been shot during an ICE operation in Texas. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez is 28 years old and, according to his attorney, had a valid work permit and was making a DoorDash delivery when he was shot. Ruben Ray Martinez. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. And now Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. Texas is ground zero for this administration’s immigration crackdown, and hardworking Texans are paying the price. Governor Abbott, how many more Texans have to be hurt before you step in? Wilber’s family deserves answers. I’m calling on Governor Abbott to demand a full, transparent investigation and insist federal authorities cooperate with state and local investigators. He must also stand up for Texans and demand an immediate end to ICE traffic stops. We cannot allow this to become the new normal in Texas.”
Why we used this label
The case asks whether the ICE officer's use of force against Garces Perez was justified. Arias-Bryant said Texans were paying the price of the immigration crackdown, asked how many more Texans had to be hurt, and called for an immediate end to ICE traffic stops, adding that Texas cannot allow this to become the new normal. That criticizes the conduct under scrutiny, so we labeled it Condemned.