Protests erupt in US as ICE agent shoots Venezuelan driver
People have taken to the streets of Austin after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and wounded a man in the capital city of Texas.
An ICE agent shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national who is working as a DoorDash delivery driver, in the torso on Sunday just before 13:00 local time.
His lawyer Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said that the victim called his wife while "yelling in pain" in hospital. Garces Perez was discharged and handed over to ICE custody.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the BBC that it was investigating the shooting of a man in Austin, claiming that he had entered the country illegally.
Later on Sunday, dozens of protesters gathered at the scene, carrying signs demanding that ICE leave Austin.
Local television outlets showed the protesters gathering across the street from a blue Toyota Corolla whose passenger-side door was damaged, as ICE agents stood nearby.
Austin’s Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, stressed that the city’s residents have a right to know what happened and "a right to feel safe in their city."
"They should know the truth," he said during a media briefing on Sunday, adding that he is pleased that the city will also be involved in the probe.
Watson noted that ICE operations have surged in Austin in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Texas Congressman Greg Casar, a Democrat, has called for a full and immediate independent investigation into the latest shooting and the release of body camera footage.
He also demanded "accountability for any ICE officer who broke the law."
This comes as President Donald Trump has renewed his push to expand immigration enforcement after returning to office. The administration has instructed federal agencies to increase operations targeting people living in the United States without legal status.
The intensified campaign has resulted in increased enforcement activity and arrests across the country, with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reporting a broader push to identify and remove individuals accused of violating immigration laws.
The case involving Garces Perez is the latest in a series of deadly shootings that have brought ICE under intense scrutiny.
In July, Houston resident Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot during an ICE traffic stop. That’s while he was not the target of an ICE investigation.
Activists slam the administration for violating due process as it carries out the crackdown.
Poll: Over half of US Jews say Netanyahu fueling American anti-Semitism
US man standing trial for shooting three Palestinian students says CIA, Mossad instructed him
‘I support Israel’: Comedian’s opening line prompts audience walkout
US aggression, economic warfare amount to crimes against humanity: Iran's UN envoy
Protests erupt in US as ICE agent shoots Venezuelan driver
US pressure fuels cooperation among Muslim states: Pezeshkian
Major TV networks suspend White House pool coverage after Trump ban
US visa ban on Palestinian UN delegation violates international agreements: Hamas
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Iran calls on France to respect law after suspending French cultural institute in Tehran
Israel lobby no longer shy about its grip on US policy on Iran: Araghchi
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
