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Venezuelan man shot by immigration agent returned to detention
Activists hold an emergency protest at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, U.S., 21 September 2026.
Reuters
A Venezuelan man who was shot by a federal immigration agent in Austin, Texas, has been treated in hospital for paralysis on his left side and returned to an immigration detention centre, his lawyer says.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez spent a night in detention with a bullet lodged in his back, according to his lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch. He was taken to hospital on Tuesday (22 September) before being returned to a detention facility about 209 km south-west of Austin.
Lawyer and officials give different accounts
Mr Perez, 28, said in a phone call during a news conference on Monday that he was still bleeding and was not receiving enough medical care.
“I'm not doing well because of the gunshot I received,” he said in Spanish.
Venezuelan man Wilber Rafael Garces Perez is seen in an undated handout photo obtained by Reuters, 22 September 2026.
Reuters
He also said he had been forced to sleep on the floor at the detention centre. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), denied this and said he had received painkillers and other medical treatment.
Police footage released
The Austin Police Department released body-camera footage showing officers responding to the shooting.
In one video, Mr Perez is seen sitting in his car as two ICE officers stand nearby. He tells police his shoulder hurts before being ordered out of the vehicle and handcuffed. An officer then cuts away his shirt, revealing a gunshot wound to his upper back.
Mr Perez said he had been working as a DoorDash delivery driver on Sunday when his car was sideswiped by immigration agents. He said they did not identify themselves or use lights or a siren.
He said an agent shot him while he was still inside the car and that there had been no foot chase. Austin police said on Sunday that he had fled from agents.
The Travis County District Attorney's Office has asked the Department of Homeland Security to pause removal proceedings against Mr Perez while the shooting is investigated. It said his ability to take part as a material witness would be “severely hindered” if he were deported.
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