WASHINGTON — After meeting with the Venezuelan man who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer and then detained, Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, is urging the federal government to release him to get the care he needs.
Hours after Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was shot in the back and wounded by an ICE officer in Austin on Sunday, Perez was taken to the South Texas ICE Processing Center more than 130 miles away in Pearsall.
That is where Casar met Perez in person Wednesday afternoon. Casar said while Perez’s spirits are strong, he was in a wheelchair, wearing a sling, had bruising and still felt intense pain.
“I am making it very clear to every part of the federal government that ICE needs to take the medical care of Wilbur Garcias Perez extremely seriously,” Casar said in a press conference after the visit.
Casar said he saw the wound on Perez’s back and that medical staff members at the detention center said they are working to keep the wound clean. But Casar said Perez needs to be released to more adequate care. He also said a specialist advised Perez that he needs surgery.
“Before a judge has decided anything, before a jury has decided anything, every single person should have a right to be fully cared for in a hospital bed, and not to be dragged to a detention center while you are still bleeding,” Casar said.
Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have largely been critical of the comments made by Texas Democrats and said that Perez was the subject of a “targeted vehicle stop.”
DHS said it did not advise on any medical procedures at the hospital and that Perez is receiving medical care around the clock, including pain medication, while in ICE detention.
In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, “No amount of smears and false narratives will slow down ICE from doing its job by removing dangerous illegal aliens from our communities and making America safe again.”
Perez entered the United States in December 2023 through a port of entry in California, according to a Spectrum News review of immigration documents provided by his lawyer. Perez used the Biden-era CBP One app to schedule an appointment for an asylum hearing. In October 2024, Perez was issued a work permit that was valid until December 2025, according to a Spectrum News review of that document.
His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, is pursuing legal action to release Perez from detention, while he seeks other immigration protections.
“Number one, we want him to get good medical care,” Lincoln-Goldfinch told Spectrum News. “Number two, we want him released from detention. Number three, we want to block his deportation because now he is an important witness in that crime investigation. And number four, we want to hold the government accountable, both the agents who shot him and the agencies who allowed it to happen through our federal lawsuit.”
Casar said he also wants more transparency from DHS, including the release of any body camera or dash camera footage as well as an explanation of why Perez was released from the hospital.