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Democrats in Austin, Texas are facing criticism both online and from a retired cop who spoke to Fox News Digital after rushing to attack Immigration and Customs Enforcement moments after a suspected illegal immigrant was shot before any investigation had taken place.
An ICE officer shot a man in Austin on Sunday and almost immediately, before basic facts had been established in the case, and before the man had been identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, elected Democrats in Austin were speaking out against ICE, including Rep. Greg Casar, Councilman Mike Siegel, and Mayor Kirk Watson.
“It is awful that this war has come to our doorstep,” Casar, a member of the progressive Squad caucus, said during a Sunday press conference in a clip that was highlighted by the White House Rapid Response account on X.
“And as the mayor said, unfortunately it is not a surprise. Just a few weeks ago as we saw the ICE surge come to Austin, especially to north central Austin, I and others said that ICE needed to leave before someone was shot like in Minneapolis or like in Corpus Christi or like in Chicago, and that day is here and so I think the message remains that for Austin to be safe, ICE should end its surge here in our community.”
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(Sara Diggins/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images) (Sara Diggins/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
Casar and his fellow Democrats quickly sparked viral social media criticism from conservatives accusing the left of selective outrage when it comes to crime, particularly illegal immigrant crime.
“Where was the outcry from this guy last fall when an illegal alien in Texas used a machete to behead a man in front of his spouse and child?” Former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin posted on X. “The perpetrator reportedly kicked the head of the victim ‘around like a soccer ball.’ “
“There it is,” Townhall’s Amy Curtis posted on X. “The Democrats want no immigration laws. They want to destroy this nation. Remember this in November.”
“This sort of rhetoric should be disqualifying for any elected official,” Texas Republican State Rep. Andy Hopper posted on X. “You cannot faithfully take the oath of office and be for open borders. “
Dennis Farris, president of the Austin Police Retired Officers Association, told Fox News Digital he expects that kind of rhetoric from Casar and Siegel but was surprised to hear Mayor Watson rush to place blame on ICE both in the press conference and on social media.
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“With Casar, it didn’t surprise me, that’s Greg Casar, he’s a bomb thrower, he’s been a bomb thrower and he’s been a reactionary known for shooting his mouth off before he has all the facts,” Farris said. “He did that when he was on the city council. He did it in the Mike Ramos shooting. That’s just Greg Casar, He’s known for his theatrics.”
“I’ve known the mayor a long time, consider the mayor a friend, I was really shocked at how visceral his reaction was, he’s usually a lot more measured,” Farris said. “I can understand being upset but the way he reacted, I think, raised the temperature in Austin because he is the one that he is, the leader, right? He is the city leader. He’s the mayor. He’s the one supposed to be trying to keep things calm and I think his reaction yesterday made it worse.”
Watson’s post was “ratioed” on social media, yielding far more negative comments and quote tweets than positive ones, with locals and internet users accusing him of fanning the flames before the facts were known.
“Honestly shocking Mayor @KirkPWatson would issue this sort of statement knowing full well the investigation has barely started, Hope he’s not about to make an Adler-esque 2nd term turn,” prominent Austin attorney Adam Loewy posted on X, referencing former Austin Mayor Steve Adler who presided over the 2020 George Floyd rioting in the city.
Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Casar, Watson, and Siegel for comment.
Farris rejected Democrat claims that ICE is “surging” in Austin and said that federal immigration authorities, whether ICE or INS, have been conducting deportations in Austin for decades without any fanfare.
“They’ve been arresting people that were in the country illegally and I think what we’re seeing here is that the reaction to it is because of Trump, it’s the Trump administration doing it and it’s just another way to dislike the president for whatever reason you want to dislike him for,” Farris said.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Austin Police said three people were arrested, several police vehicles were damaged, and two officers were injured after hundreds took to the streets throwing rocks, bottles, and piece of concrete at officers, Fox News national correspondent Brooke Taylor reported.
DHS sources confirmed to Fox News on Sunday that Garces Perez is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela with a final order of removal. DHS said Garces Perez illegally entered the United States under the Biden administration. The agency said he was shot during a law enforcement operation.
Perez’s attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, claims he was driving for DoorDash when an unmarked truck sideswiped him, chased him and struck his car again before an ICE officer shot him in the back of the neck.
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Protesters confront police officers (not picured) after city officials said that a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot a person earlier in the day in Austin, Texas, U.S. September 20, 2026. REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona (REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona)
“Wilber entered through CBPOne seeking asylum,” Lincoln-Goldfinch posted on X on Monday. “He was inspected and entered lawfully through a port of entry. He was issued a valid work permit. The issue regarding the deportation order is that he moved and changed addresses. There was a notice for a hearing sent to the wrong address that he missed, which is VERY common. We are working on that. He will be released from detention, his immigration matter will be resolved, and the agencies will be held accountable.”
