Why Some Austin Families Are Now Considering Leaving the Country After an ICE Shooting

AUSTIN, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: Law enforcement monitor a vehicle that was shot at by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on September 20, 2026 in Austin, Texas. A federal ICE officer shot and wounded a person earlier this afternoon in North Austin. (Credit: Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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  An ICE agent shot and wounded 28-year-old DoorDash driver Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez in North Austin on Sept. 20, during what his attorney describes as a vehicle pursuit — not the routine traffic stop some early reports suggested.

• The agency reviewing the shooting, Homeland Security Investigations, is ICE's own enforcement arm rather than an outside watchdog, a distinction driving calls from Austin's mayor, the Travis County DA and members of Congress for a truly independent inquiry.
• Street arrests by ICE in Houston have climbed more than fourfold over the past year, and Austin shop owners near the shooting site report sales down by as much as 60% as fear spreads through Central Texas's Latino community.

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