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Venezuelan delivery driver shot by ICE agent undergoes surgery to remove bullet

A 28-year-old Venezuelan delivery driver shot by a federal immigration agent in Austin on September 20 underwent surgery Thursday to remove a bullet that had been lodged in his back for nearly two weeks. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez remains in custody on a charge of assaulting an officer and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The case has drawn attention for a simple reason: the officer who fired the shot was not wearing a body camera. Garces Perez says he was struck by a law enforcement SUV and spun around before the shot was fired. Federal officers say he tried to hit an officer with his car while attempting to drive away. Without footage, the two accounts stand unreconciled, and protests have continued in Austin over the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.

The case touches on questions that reach well beyond the state capital, from how use-of-force incidents get reviewed to what due process looks like for a defendant recovering from a serious injury. We want to hear from you: should body cameras be mandatory for federal immigration officers?

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