U.S. Judge Halts Deportation of Venezuelan Man Shot During ICE Transfer

A federal judge in Texas has issued a temporary restraining order that stops the deportation of 28-year-old Venezuelan Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, who was shot by immigration agents during a hospital transfer. The judge, Orlando Garcia, scheduled a hearing for Garces Perez to appear in court in person on 30 September, meaning he cannot be removed from the United States before that date.

Garces Perez remains in a detention facility with a bullet lodged in his back, according to his immigration lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed an investigation into the shooting but has not verified the location of the wound. The injury fractured his clavicle, leaving him with significant swelling, pain and limited arm movement; he has been treated in a hospital and returned to detention.

Lincoln-Goldfinch filed a federal lawsuit seeking the temporary restraining order and said the order “secures a temporary block on his deportation while his case moves forward.” She added that the detainee’s medical needs remain unmet and that his communication privileges have been revoked, with his placement moved from an infirmary to an isolated room.

Local and state officials have called for an independent investigation into the incident, which occurred on a Sunday afternoon. Protesters gathered at the site later that day, some carrying flags from Mexico and Guatemala and demanding that ICE leave the city.