A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and wounded a man during a traffic stop in Austin, Texas, on Sunday afternoon, prompting calls for an independent investigation and sparking protests near the scene. The man, identified by his immigration attorney as Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national, was struck once in the torso and was initially described as in serious but stable condition. He had been making a food delivery for DoorDash at the time of the encounter, according to his lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch.

Austin police were not involved in the operation but arrived on scene after the shooting, where bystander footage showed local officers rushing to retrieve medical supplies and administer first aid while federal agents — wearing tactical vests and masks — stood by. A blue Toyota sedan and a black SUV were stopped near a highway overpass on the city's north side, with photographs showing two bullet impacts on the vehicle. Emergency medical services arrived within three and a half minutes and transported Garcés Pérez to Dell Seton Medical Center, but his family and attorney were subsequently turned away from the hospital. By approximately 4:30 p.m. local time, ICE had removed Garcés Pérez from the hospital and taken him into federal custody, leaving his wife and legal representative without information on his whereabouts or medical condition. Lincoln-Goldfinch said she feared he was not receiving adequate care and that authorities might seek to deport him before a full investigation could take place.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, said he was