Venezuelan man shot by ICE officer was taken to detention with ‘bullet lodged near his spine’, lawyer claims

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

A Venezuelan man shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Texas was taken to an immigration detention facility with a bullet still lodged in his back near his spine, his lawyer said, as new details emerged about his condition.His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, said 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was later taken back to a hospital and has lost movement on the left side of his body.According to CNN, Lincoln-Goldfinch said Perez was transported to an ICE facility about 100 miles away after being shot, despite the bullet remaining lodged in his back.She said her client had not received adequate medical treatment while in detention and was in significant pain.Perez was shot on Sunday while making a DoorDash delivery in Austin, Texas. His lawyer said ICE agents sideswiped his vehicle before an agent opened fire. Perez was initially taken to a hospital before being released into ICE custody, according to The Hill.

Lawyer disputes ICE account

Lincoln-Goldfinch said Perez did not try to evade the officers and was attempting to find a place to pull over. She alleged that agents did not initially use lights or sirens and that the shooting happened after the vehicles collided.Perez, speaking by phone from the Pearsall Detention Facility during a news conference, said he was in severe pain and that doctors had not removed the bullet because it was too close to his spine.The lawyer said Perez was later hospitalized again on Monday night. She has also sought his release from detention so he can receive medical treatment while recovering from the gunshot wound.

Investigation underway

The Department of Homeland Security is leading the investigation into the shooting. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the department would allow evidence, rather than speculation or incomplete information, to guide the investigation.US Rep Greg Casar, who represents the Austin area where the shooting occurred, has called for the release of body-camera footage and a full investigation. Dozens of protesters also gathered near the scene, with some carrying Mexican and Guatemalan flags and signs calling for ICE to leave Austin.The shooting comes amid increased scrutiny of ICE operations in the US following several incidents involving federal immigration agents. DHS has said Perez is in federal custody pending removal from the country, while his lawyer and Casar have disputed parts of the government’s account of his immigration status.