ICE Recruit Involved in Shooting of DoorDash Driver Lacked Body Camera Footage

POLICY WIRE — Austin, Texas — A federal immigration agent who shot a 28-year-old Venezuelan DoorDash driver in Austin this past Sunday was a recent recruit who failed to activate his body-worn camera during the encounter.

While the Austin Police Department has released footage captured following the arrest of Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, three Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed to The Atlantic that the agent involved was not recording at the time of the shooting. Although the agent had been issued a camera, he was not wearing it, despite agency mandates requiring ICE personnel to record enforcement actions from start to finish.

The unnamed agent, who reportedly has prior experience with another federal law enforcement entity, was hired by the agency last year. According to officials, the incident began when agents attempted to pull over Garcés Pérez, who allegedly drove away and nearly struck an officer. While the primary agent lacked footage, sources indicated that a second agent’s body camera captured the initial interaction.

Garcés Pérez, speaking via phone and a translator during a press conference, provided a conflicting account. He stated that he was attempting to park after performing a U-turn when officers rammed his vehicle and fired a shot that struck him in the back of the neck.

Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch noted that the bullet remains lodged in her client’s body. She further stated that Garcés Pérez had to be returned to a hospital from an ICE facility after experiencing complications with his arm. Lincoln-Goldfinch emphasized that her client entered the U.S. legally with a work permit, though the Department of Homeland Security contends that the permit was set to expire in 2025. She also clarified that a deportation order against him was issued in absentia due to a hearing notice being mailed to an incorrect address.

In response to the incident, Lincoln-Goldfinch challenged the agency’s narrative on X, stating, Before we hear anything from ICE about ‘we pulled him over’ or ‘he was fleeing’ or ‘he was aggressive,’ our response to any statements like this is: ‘We won’t believe you until you show us…show us your body cam footage, show us your dash cam footage.’

DoorDash has confirmed it is conducting its own investigation into the shooting. This event follows a similar incident two months ago in Houston, where an ICE officer fatally shot a Mexican national, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, after officials claimed he weaponized his vehicle against agents.

The incident occurs amid a broader push for increased immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump. Recent data indicates that ICE conducted 49,571 arrests in July alone, supported by a workforce that includes 12,000 new agents hired from a pool of 220,000 applicants earlier this year.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)