Man shot by ICE agent in Texas being treated for paralysis in left side, lawyer says

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Sep 22, 2026 6:21 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

A Venezuelan man shot by a federal immigration agent in Austin, Texas, who spent the night in ICE detention with a bullet lodged in his back, is being ‌treated at a hospital for paralysis on his left side, according to his lawyer.

The man, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, "was taken back to another hospital to receive treatment regarding paralysis in his left side," attorney Kate ​Lincoln-Goldfinch said on her social media accounts late on ​Monday.

Lincoln-Goldfinch added that she would visit him first thing on Tuesday morning.

During a news conference on Monday, Lincoln-Goldfinch introduced a man who ​phoned in as Perez, who said he had been transferred to ⁠an Immigration and ⁠Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility more than 200 kilometres ‌southwest of Austin on Sunday after a few hours in the hospital following the shooting.

Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch says that her client, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, is being ‌treated at a hospital for paralysis on his left side. (Eric Gay/The Associated Press)

On the Monday call, Perez, 28, said that he was still bleeding and was not receiving adequate medical care.

"I'm not doing ⁠well because of the gunshot I received," he said in Spanish. He added that he had to sleep on the floor at the detention centre but did not explain.

The U.S. ‌Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, denied in a Tuesday statement that Perez was forced to sleep on the floor and also said that he had been receiving pain medications and other medical treatment while at ​the detention centre.

Agents didn't identify themselves: Perez

Perez said he had been out working as a DoorDash food delivery driver on Sunday when ⁠his car was sideswiped by the agents, who he said did not identify ⁠themselves or turn on any sort of lights or siren.

Perez said that an ⁠agent ⁠shot him while he was ​still in his car and that there had been no foot chase. Austin police ​said on Sunday that he ⁠had run from agents.

The Travis County District Attorney's office on Tuesday requested that DHS halt removal proceedings against Perez while the investigation into his shooting continued, saying his ability to participate as a material witness would be "severely hindered" if he were deported.