An ICE officer shot and seriously wounded a Venezuelan man delivering food in Austin on Sunday afternoon, according to his lawyers.
Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch identified the man as 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a DoorDash delivery driver. He was in “serious but stable condition,” according to Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement to the BBC that it was investigating the shooting of a man in Austin who had entered the country illegally.
It is not clear what led to the shooting. The local mayor and police have called for an independent investigation.
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Lincoln-Goldfinch told CBS that Garces Perez called his wife from the hospital while “yelling in pain.” She told National Public Radio that he was in ICE custody.
The Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement during the president’s second term. The administration has defended its actions, saying the tactics are necessary for public safety and to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises to secure the border and carry out mass deportations.
According to reporters, protesters gathered in Austin following the incident. Local television outlets showed demonstrators gathering across the street from a blue Toyota Corolla that sustained damage to the passenger-side door, as ICE agents stood nearby.
Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, said that Austinites have a right to know what happened and “a right to feel safe in their city” during a media briefing on Sunday.
“They should know the truth,” he said, adding that he was pleased the city would also be involved in the investigation. He also said ICE operations have surged in Austin in recent years.
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Texas Rep. Greg Casar, a Democrat, has demanded a full and immediate independent investigation into the shooting and the release of body-camera footage. He also called for “accountability for any ICE officer who broke the law.”
ICE has faced increased scrutiny over incidents like this and another shooting in Maine involving a Colombian man who was authorized to work in the U.S. and was shot by an ICE agent.
ICE also faced backlash earlier this year following the shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Pretti’s family recently called for accountability during their first television appearance following his death.
“We’ve seen what happened. The videos are pretty clear. But we want justice. We want accountability for the people that did this to Alex,” Michael Pretti, Alex Pretti’s father, said.