The tiny violins have been queued for Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, the Austin, TX illegal alien who was shot Sunday in the midst of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeted apprehension.
Garces Perez allegedly fled from the ICE agents and claimed the agents did not identify themselves, nor did they engage their lights during the pursuit. My RedState colleague Ward Clark reported on new video from TPUSA journalist Savannah Hernandez, which seems to debunk Garces Perez's claims that one of the agents rammed his car and that the agents did not identify themselves.
There is much more about Garces Perez and his attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch's inflated charges, which are being quickly deflated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The latest X update from Lincoln-Goldfinch claimed that the bullet from the shooting had not been removed from Garces Perez's body, and that it was still lodged near his spine. Lincoln-Goldfinch also alleged that Garces Perez has not received pain medication, and that he had to sleep on the floor at the Pearsall Detention Center where he is being held.
Update on Wilber:
— Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch (@AttorneyKateLG) September 21, 2026
He is being held at Pearsall for interrogation and still has the bullet lodged in his body. He’s received no pain medication and had to sleep on the floor.
The clown car that is Democrats in Congress, led by chief clown Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35), are doing their utmost to turn Garces Perez into "Austin Man," just like they turned Kilmar Abrego Garcia into "Maryland Man." Casar and over 100 other Democrats in Congress issued a strongly worded letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding Garces Perez be released from detention and receive medical treatment and monitoring.
The letter was also sent to FBI Director Kash Patel and DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari. We're sure they're all shaking in their boots.
The letter began:
We are writing to demand Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cease any and all efforts to interfere with a comprehensive investigation into the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez and release Mr. Garces Perez from detention to allow him to receive medical treatment and continued medical monitoring.
NEW: More than 100 members of Congress are demanding ICE release Wilber Rafael Garces Perez — the 28-year-old Venezuelan man shot by an ICE officer in Austin Sunday — so he can receive medical treatment, while also calling on the agency to halt efforts to deport him.
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) September 22, 2026
Texas… pic.twitter.com/iFx9xKscPB
NEW: More than 100 members of Congress are demanding ICE release Wilber Rafael Garces Perez — the 28-year-old Venezuelan man shot by an ICE officer in Austin Sunday — so he can receive medical treatment, while also calling on the agency to halt efforts to deport him.
Texas @RepCasar is leading the letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting ICE Director David Venturella, demanding:
• Garces Perez be released from detention for medical treatment
• ICE halt efforts to deport him or remove him from Texas
• The ICE officer involved remain in Texas
• DHS preserve and share all evidence with authorities that have jurisdiction to conduct an independent investigation
• ICE release all body-camera footage
The lawmakers say Garces Perez remains detained at the South Texas Detention Complex in Pearsall. Citing his attorneys, they say the bullet remains lodged in his body and allege he initially received no pain medication. The letter says he was taken to a hospital Monday and later returned to detention.
The lawmakers also say Garces Perez has since reported losing sensation on the left side of his body.
“Mr. Garces Perez is a key witness to this shooting,” the lawmakers write, arguing he should not be removed while the shooting is investigated.
The group is demanding answers from DHS and ICE by Monday, Sept. 28, including why deadly force was used, what medical treatment Garces Perez is receiving and whether ICE will release all body-camera footage.
The Democrats put a time clock on it, but DHS did not bother to wait that long. They issued a lengthy bulleted list of rebuttals to these Democrats and Garces Perez's immigration lawyer's accusations and defamatory statements.
BREAKING: DHS releases a bullet-point list of what they say are false claims about the shooting of a Venezuelan illegal alien in Austin, TX. They say claims that he was legal and had a valid work permit are false.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) September 22, 2026
Per DHS:
“CLAIM: ICE refused to remove the bullet from the…
BREAKING: DHS releases a bullet-point list of what they say are false claims about the shooting of a Venezuelan illegal alien in Austin, TX. They say claims that he was legal and had a valid work permit are false.
Per DHS:
CLAIM: ICE refused to remove the bullet from the illegal alien’s body.
FACT: This is false. ICE does not and would not advise, nor be the authority on, a medical procedure for an illegal alien at a hospital.
Why would the hospital allow Garces Perez to be released into detention if there were serious medical issues? Does the brain trust that is the Democrat Party think DHS wants more lawsuits? Because you know they'll be coming.
CLAIM: The illegal alien had a valid work permit.
FACT: This is false. The illegal alien’s work permit expired in 2025. Furthermore, a work permit does NOT grant legal status.
CLAIM: The illegal alien was ordered removed in absentia.
FACT: Yes. This is why aliens must show up to their removal proceedings. Legal obligations do not end because someone’s address changed.
CLAIM: This illegal alien is here legally.
FACT: This is false. This person is in the U.S. illegally. He entered illegally under the Biden Administration. The illegal alien had no valid work permit, had no protective status, and had a final order of removal from a Department of Justice (DOJ) Immigration Judge.
DHS addressed the scurrilous tweet by immigration lawyer Lincoln-Goldfinch, which alleged DHS was withholding pain medication and making Garces Perez sleep on the floor.
CLAIM: This illegal alien has received no pain medication.
FACT: This is false. This illegal alien is receiving medical care around the clock, including pain medication.
CLAIM: The illegal alien has been forced to sleep on the floor.
FACT: This is false. This alien was released from the hospital and arrived at the detention facility just a few hours later, where he slept on a bed. Aliens in ICE custody receive a higher standard of living than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens.
DHS then addressed the accusations lodged by Austin, TX Mayor Kirk Watson and Rep. Casar in Sunday's press conference that ICE was roaming the streets and targeting people of color.
CLAIM: This illegal alien was indiscriminately targeted by ICE.
FACT: This is false. This illegal alien was the subject of a targeted vehicle stop. What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is whether or not they are illegally in the U.S.
The list ended with this statement by Mullin:
Sanctuary politicians and the mainstream media have wasted no time in spreading lies about an ICE officer-involved shooting of an illegal alien in Austin, Texas. Contrary to their claims, this person is an illegal alien who has no legal status to be here and has been given some of the best medical care he’s ever received in his life. 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. Sanctuary politicians may continue to shamelessly protect illegal aliens, but the Trump Administration will remain focused on protecting the American people.
Will there be any photo ops with Casar and Garces Perez sipping margaritas in the future? With the way DHS is swatting down fake narratives like pesky flies, it's doubtful. But the Left remains relentless.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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