A man was shot and wounded by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Austin, Texas, and protesters quickly gathered at the scene to speak out against ICE.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, is in stable condition, according to the Austin Police Department, which reiterated that no APD officer was involved in the shooting.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, said Perez is in federal custody pending removal from the country, adding that he entered the country illegally during the Biden administration.
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U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, whose district includes Austin, is calling for an independent investigation into the shooting, the release of body camera footage, and accountability if any laws were broken.
"I'm demanding answers from DHS and ICE about today's shooting in Austin," Casar said in a statement. "They must preserve every piece of evidence, release the body cam footage, suspend the agent, and brief Congress. ICE has lied before. We deserve the truth."
The shooting brings the total number of people shot by on-duty ICE agents to at least 20, with 8 of those being fatal.
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