ICE Agent Who Shot Texas Immigrant Wasn’t Wearing Bodycam, Judge Temporarily Blocks Deportation 

The federal immigration officer who shot 28-year-old Venezuelan immigrant Wilber Rafael Garces Perez wasn’t wearing his body camera, even though he had been issued one, according to two former Department of Homeland Security officials who were reportedly briefed on the matter, and a federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting Garces Perez so that he can stand trial later this month.

According to the Washington Post, the officer who shot Garces Perez, who hasn’t been identified publicly yet, had previously worked at another federal law enforcement agency and joined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the Department of Homeland Security’s push to recruit more agents, which, as we’ve reported previously, has resulted in the lowering of recruitment standards, which has often led to sloppy recruiting practices and even sloppier agents, including some who have histories of violence.

From the Post:

DHS has been facing mounting criticism from former officials who say the recruits were put on the streets before being adequately vetted and trained. In recent months, the agency has begun quietly firing some of the recruits over poor performance or red flags that some former officials said should have been identified earlier.

ICE acting director David Venturella said over the summer that the cameras would be disseminated to every officer by the end of August following the deaths of two immigrants shot by officers who did not have cameras recording when they fired their weapons. One of those officers was a recruit who had a volatile history, according to relatives and court records.

We reported back in February that then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem had promised all federal officers would be equipped with body-worn cameras, and federal judges were issuing rulings requiring agents to wear them months before that. So, why are we still even having this conversation several months to a year later, especially since video footage has proven that immigration agents have flat-out lied about the circumstances under which they shot a migrant or brutalized a protester?

According to the Post, ICE emailed all officers on Tuesday, reminding them that they “must activate” their cameras “to capture footage of Enforcement Activities.” On the same day, Garces Perez’s attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, challenged DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to “answer why your agents are not turning their body cams on” via social media. She also demanded that Mullin “release the footage” of her client’s pursuit and arrest “immediately.”

Meanwhile, according to ABC News, on Tuesday, the Travis County, Texas, District Attorney’s Office sent a letter to Mullin and Venturella, requesting that removal proceedings against Garces Perez be halted while the local and state investigations into his shooting continue.

“If criminal charges are filed in Travis County in relation to the shooting, the State of Texas expects that Mr. Garces Perez’s testimony would be necessary in any subsequent prosecution,” the district attorney’s letter reads. “Mr. Garces Perez’s ability to participate in the ongoing investigation or any future prosecution related to this incident, however, will be severely hindered if Mr. Garces Perez is removed from the United States. To ensure a complete, impartial inquiry into the shooting of Mr. Garces Perez, l ask that Mr. Garces Perez be allowed to remain in the United States during the pendency of this criminal investigation.”

As a result, U.S. District Court Judge Orlando Garcia said Garces Perez must be present at the hearing, scheduled for Sept. 30.

As we previously reported, DHS claims Garces Perez, who was delivering for DoorDash at the time of the shooting, is an “illegal alien” who “illegally entered our country under the Biden administration” and that he “had a final order of removal.” According to his attorney, Garces Perez said he changed his address in immigration court, and a hearing notice was sent to his former home, so he didn’t know about it.

Stay tuned for more updates as more information becomes available.

SEE ALSO:

Protest Erupts In Austin After ICE Agent Shoots Venezuelan Man In Back

Venezuelan Man Shot By ICE Not Receiving Proper Medical Treatment