James Talarico
Role at the time: Texas state representative and U.S. Senate candidate, in a post on X
Statement summary
James Talarico, a Texas state representative running for U.S. Senate, said Garces Perez entered the country legally and had no criminal record, that he was shot anyway, and that he slept on a cell floor with a bullet still in his back, unable to move his left side. Talarico called this "lawlessness," not law enforcement.
“Wilber came to this country legally. He has no criminal record. An ICE agent shot him anyway. He slept on a prison cell floor with a bullet still lodged in his back. He can't move the left side of his body. This isn't law enforcement. It's lawlessness.”
James Talarico's own X post, quote-posting Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch's update on Garces Perez's condition, adding that he entered the country legally, has no criminal record, and calling the shooting lawlessness rather than law enforcement.
Why we used this label
Talarico directly rejects the shooting as lawful conduct, condemning it rather than disputing only how it has been characterized or focusing solely on custody conditions.