Who is Wilber Rafael Garces Perez and why was the DoorDash driver shot by ICE in Austin?

Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was doing something thousands of drivers do every day: delivering food for DoorDash. The 28-year-old Venezuelan was in North Austin on Sunday, September 20, when an encounter with federal immigration agents ended with an ICE officer shooting him in the torso. DoorDash confirmed he was in the middle of a delivery when the incident occurred.

Who is Wilber Rafael Garces Perez?

Garces Perez is a Venezuelan national who lives in the United States and is married. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, says he previously had authorization to work in the country and maintains that he entered the U.S. legally. Federal authorities tell a different story: DHS says Garces Perez entered the country illegally and was subject to a final order of removal. That discrepancy has not yet been publicly resolved.

A 28-year-old Venezuelan DoorDash driver was shot by an ICE agent while making deliveries in Austin. Here’s who Wilber Rafael Garces Perez is and what remains unanswered about why the agent opened fire.

According to his attorney, Garces Perez called his wife from his car after being shot and was in severe pain. Emergency crews transported him to Dell Seton Medical Center, where officials described his condition as serious but stable. He was subsequently released from the hospital and transferred into federal immigration custody.

Why did an ICE agent shoot him?

That is the biggest unanswered question. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the shooting followed a brief foot pursuit, but authorities have not publicly provided a complete account explaining what prompted the agent to fire. Local police were not involved in the shooting, and publicly available information does not yet establish that Garces Perez was armed or specify what immediate threat the ICE officer believed existed.

The uncertainty is why the case has quickly become bigger than one immigration arrest. DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the FBI, is investigating, while Austin Mayor Kirk Watson has pushed for local authorities and the Texas Rangers to be involved. Protests have also erupted in Austin demanding answers. Until investigators release evidence such as body-camera footage and a fuller account from the agent, we know why ICE had an immigration interest in Garces Perez, but not yet why that encounter ended with a bullet.