Wilber Rafael Garces Perez is a Venezuelan national who entered the United States in 2024 through the CBP One process and worked as a DoorDash delivery driver in Austin, Texas.
Case
An ICE officer shot and wounded Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan DoorDash driver, in Austin on September 20. He says he was shot while trying to pull over; DHS has not explained why the officer fired. The dispute is whether the shooting was justified.
Role at the time: Person shot by the ICE officer, speaking by phone from immigration custody
Statement summary
Garces Perez, speaking by phone at a news conference from ICE custody, said an unmarked SUV struck his car twice before he realized his pursuers were immigration officers, that he asked an agent if he could stop somewhere safer than under a freeway overpass, and that he was shot in the back after the agent refused.
“He asked officers if he could stop somewhere safer than in traffic under the freeway; he said an agent refused, then he felt one shot to his back.”
The case's fixed reference point is whether the officer's use of deadly force against Garces Perez was justified. His account describes attempting to find a safe place to stop, being refused, and then being shot without describing any threatening conduct on his part. This directly disputes that the shooting was justified, rather than merely disputing how it has been characterized by others.
Statement dates: September 21, 2026
Statement dates: September 21, 2026
Statement dates: September 21, 2026
