Austin bishop condemns ICE shooting as lawyers fight removal and care claims
Bishop Daniel E. Garcia of Austin condemned an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer’s shooting of Venezuelan Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. Accounts of the encounter remain disputed. Police released aftermath video and described a vehicle pursuit, and a federal judge set a Sept. 30 hearing in San Antonio on removal and medical-care challenges, according to Reuters (Sept. 22), OSV News (Sept. 21), and Associated Press reporting carried by WRAL (Sept. 23).
- Publication date
- Source publication date
- Access date
Bishop Daniel E. Garcia of the Diocese of Austin said he was “deeply saddened and disturbed” after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and wounded Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, during a Sept. 20 encounter in Austin, OSV News reported. In that account, Garcia said people were “living in terror and fear” amid increased ICE activity. He urged a transparent investigation and affirmed the dignity of every person regardless of immigration status.
Garces Perez’s attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, said her client was working as a DoorDash driver, was shot, and later reported from detention that a bullet remained lodged in his back and that medical care was inadequate. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said he is a Venezuelan national with a final removal order and that he is in federal custody. Lincoln-Goldfinch disputes that framing. She said he entered through the former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One asylum-appointment pathway, held a work permit, and missed a hearing after notice went to a former address.
According to Associated Press reporting carried by WRAL, Austin police released body-camera and related footage showing Garces Perez wounded after the shooting. That footage does not show the shooting itself. Police Chief Lisa Davis described a vehicle pursuit lasting roughly 10 to 15 minutes through neighborhoods. Local outlets quoting Austin police said investigators have found no evidence of a foot pursuit. U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ordered Garces Perez to appear in person at a Sept. 30 hearing in San Antonio as attorneys challenge removal and medical treatment. DHS has said he is receiving care; his lawyers dispute that account. Circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation.
Sources
Reuters: Man shot by ICE agents in Texas says he is in detention with bullet in back (Sep 22, 2026)
https://www.reuters.com/world/man-shot-by-ice-agents-texas-says-he-is-detention-with-bullet-back-2026-09-22/OSV News: Texas bishop denounces ICE shooting in Austin, says people ‘living in terror and fear’ (Sep 21, 2026)
https://www.osvnews.com/texas-bishop-denounces-ice-shooting-in-austin-says-people-living-in-terror-and-fear/WRAL: Judge sets hearing for Venezuelan man shot by ICE and police in Texas release some video from scene (Sep 23, 2026)
https://www.wral.com/news/ap/26577-judge-sets-hearing-for-venezuelan-man-shot-by-ice-and-police-in-texas-release-some-video-from-scene/
Corrections and updates
- Update, September 23, 2026: Brief prepared from Reuters (Sept. 22), OSV News (Sept. 21), and Associated Press copy on WRAL (Sept. 23). Bishop Garcia’s words stay with the OSV News account. The DoorDash, lodged-bullet, and inadequate-care claims stay with the attorney and with what was reported from detention. The removal order and federal custody stay with the Department of Homeland Security; the Customs and Border Protection One pathway, work permit, and missed-hearing account stay with Lincoln-Goldfinch. Video is aftermath only, as the Associated Press described the Austin police release. The vehicle pursuit is Chief Lisa Davis’s description in that report. The no-foot-pursuit line stays attributed to local outlets quoting Austin police and is not a finding of who was right. Live pages were opened. No prior Wayback snapshots were found. Save Page Now returned 500; archive.today returned 429. No photo.