US judge blocks deportation of DoorDash driver shot by ICE

A Venezuelan DoorDash delivery driver has had a deportation order temporarily halted by a US judge after he was shot by immigration agents in Texas, according to his lawyer. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, is currently incarcerated in a detention center with a bullet wound in his back. Judge Orlando Garcia, appointed by Clinton, has set a hearing for the man to attend in person the following week.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that an "illegal alien" was the target of a targeted vehicle stop, but they denied allegations that he received insufficient medical attention. This incident follows a recent fatal shooting of a man by an ICE officer in Houston. Garces Perez's immigration attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, has filed a federal lawsuit to obtain a restraining order to prevent his removal from the country.

Since the judge's order for the man's in-person appearance on September 30, he cannot be deported until then, she claims. "For now, we have secured a temporary block on his deportation while his case moves forward," Lincoln-Goldfinch said on social media. "This is a significant step, but our work is far from complete." "Wilber still needs proper medical care, and we will keep fighting to protect his rights."

The gunshot inflicted significant injury, fracturing his clavicle, and he is experiencing considerable swelling and pain, as stated by Lincoln-Goldfinch. The exact extent of his loss of mobility has not yet been determined. DHS spokespersons declined to comment on the case and have dismissed suggestions as "false narratives," stating that the man is an illegal alien with no legal status in the country and has received top-notch medical care.

The Austin Police Department released dashcam and body camera footage of the incident, showing ICE officers approaching Garces Perez's vehicle and detaining him, though the shooting itself is not captured on camera. Garces Perez's lawyer claims he was delivering a DoorDash package when an unmarked black truck collided with his car; he did not know it was an ICE vehicle and made a U-turn. His car was hit again before agents exited and shot him.