AUSTIN, Texas — An ICE agent shot and wounded Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez, 28, on Sunday, September 20. Garcés Perez currently remains in ICE custody. The shooting comes just two months after an ICE agent shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, as he drove to work in Houston.
The following quote can be attributed to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas:
“Yet another Texas family and community have been traumatized by an ICE shooting — this time Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez, a 28-year-old married Venezuelan father who was reportedly delivering food in Austin to support his son with a disability.
While we are relieved that Wilber is still alive, we call for his immediate release from immigration detention so that he can receive adequate medical care. This should never have happened in the first place. Wilber and his loved ones deserve answers and accountability.
We are calling for a full, transparent, and independent investigation into the shooting. The Trump administration cannot be trusted to investigate on their own. They have a documented track record of releasing false and misleading information following other ICE shootings — including in the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston in July.
We warned state officials this would happen again. We echo the calls of immigration advocates and the Austin community: Stop ICE traffic enforcement and end the expansion of 287(g) agreements that turn local law enforcement into immigration officers. We need ICE off our streets!”
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