Texas protesters demand safety amid US immigration raids
Venezuelan immigrant Wilber Garces Perez was shot by ICE agents and remained detained with the bullet still inside his body, sparking protests in Austin.
Protesters gathered outside the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, demanding safety and protesting immigration raids following the shooting of a Venezuelan man by ICE agents. Estella, a 16-year-old US citizen of Guatemalan and Mexican descent, joined the rally alongside about 100 high school students from Pflugerville. She expressed her desire to be a voice for her parents and other immigrants who have been silenced by President Trump's anti-immigration policies.
Estella and the protesters accused ICE of using excessive force, particularly in the case of Wilber Garces Perez, a DoorDash delivery driver who was shot and wounded during an ICE operation on Sunday. Despite being treated in a hospital twice, Garces Perez remains jailed with a bullet lodged in his body, as his lawyer seeks to file a federal lawsuit. The DHS, which oversees ICE, denied any involvement in Garces Perez's treatment.
The incident is one of many violent instances that have sparked protests against ICE nationwide. Federal agents have conducted raids across the country, sometimes using unmarked cars and masked personnel, as part of Trump's promise to curb illegal immigration. In August alone, DHS reported arresting 51,000 undocumented immigrants.
The lawyer for Garces Perez, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, stated that he is still in pain, with the bullet lodged near his spine. Garces Perez's attorney also revealed that the judge has ordered his presence at the first hearing scheduled for September 30th, preventing his deportation.
The incident has stirred concern among Latino communities, with Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old, becoming the first known victim of an ICE agent's violence in Trump's second term. Additionally, a Mexican man, Lorenzo Salgado, died after being shot by an ICE officer in Houston, Texas. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullins addressed graffiti near the site of Garces Perez's shooting, denouncing hate, violence, and murder.
At the protest, Mexican-American Gia Acosta emphasized her desire for peace, expressing her opposition to ICE agents' presence in schools and neighborhoods.
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