ICE officer shoots Venezuelan man delivering food in Austin, Texas, lawyer says

September 21, 2026 3oliver

The shooting occurred before DPS troopers arrived at the scene, Nolen said.

“Once they arrived, DPS Troopers immediately began assisting partner law enforcement agencies in performing medical treatment on the driver of the Toyota Corolla,” she said in a statement.

Lincoln-Goldfinch, who is representing the man, said lawyers for the hospital where he was treated indicated he had been released, though she wasn’t sure at the time to whom.

A tilted photo of a young man leaning against a blue Toyota sedan. — Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez’s wife said he was making a food delivery at the time of the incident Sunday.via Refuerzo Collaborative

The hospital, Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lincoln-Goldfinch said she was with his wife at the hospital earlier, hoping to get information on his condition, but they were escorted from the premises.

“We are deeply concerned that his wife and family have not been permitted to see him and have not received a meaningful update regarding his current condition or whereabouts,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said in a statement.

The man, who lives in Austin, is a DoorDash driver who was in the middle of a delivery when he was shot, Lincoln-Goldfinch said. In an email, a company spokesperson confirmed Garcés Perez was making a delivery at the time, adding that DoorDash is investigating and would not release more information “at this time.”

Lincoln-Goldfinch told Telemundo Austin that her priority, and that of the man’s family, is to find him and verify his condition.

“The main focus now is figuring out how and where he is, that he’s OK, and then we’ll be looking for justice,” she said.

DHS has not provided any information about whether the ICE agent involved was wearing a body camera or if the man was the target of an operation or has any criminal background other than an immigration violation.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said the Austin Police Department was not involved in the incident.

Police Chief Lisa Davis said a “small foot pursuit” had occurred and that Austin police investigators were on the scene. Davis added that she was in contact with Homeland Security Investigations and other state law enforcement agencies.

“A person being shot on the streets of Austin by someone purporting to be law enforcement, particularly when it’s ICE, is something that causes me to be unhappy and angry,” Watson said at the news conference. “While I’m unhappy and I’m angry about it, I’m not surprised at all.”