Protest in San Antonio Over Shooting Incident Involving ICE
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A small group of protesters gathered at San Antonio’s City Hall to express their outrage over the shooting of a 28-year-old Venezuelan man, Wilber Rafael Garces-Perez, during an action by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on September 20. The protest, organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), attracted only a handful of attendees and was largely overlooked by tourists visiting the area.
The PSL promoted the protest as a demand for justice for Garces-Perez, who, they claim, was shot by ICE while he was delivering food as a DoorDash driver. According to a report from Breitbart Texas, officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Garces-Perez was in the U.S. illegally, having crossed the border during the Biden administration’s border crisis.
DHS claims that the shooting occurred when Garces-Perez attempted to flee from an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officer in Austin on Sunday, during a targeted operation in the area near West Anderson Lane. After receiving emergency medical care, he was taken to an ICE detention facility in Pearsall, Texas.
At the protest, which took place just a few blocks from the historic Alamo, participants held signs demanding that ICE leave the city. Some also voiced their opposition to recent plans by ICE to refurbish a large warehouse on the east side of San Antonio.
Reportedly, ICE has contracted GardaWorld Federal Services for over $17 million to renovate the warehouse and manage the substantial detention center.
At the City Hall protest, attendees chanted against ICE, and many wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves while displaying signs critical of ICE’s actions and the shooting incident. Slogans like “Jail All Killer ICE Agents” were prominent among the messages showcased.
The PSL has announced plans for another protest in Austin on the following Sunday, marking one week since the shooting of Garces-Perez. This demonstration is set to occur near the site of the incident, where previous protests had been held.
Earlier, a spontaneous protest erupted at the shooting location in Austin, resulting in activists painting threatening graffiti on infrastructure and issuing threats against President Trump and ICE agents. Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol troopers monitored the situation until the crowd eventually dispersed.
