ICE agent shoots and injures man in Austin, officials say

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and wounded a man in Austin on Sunday, according to local officials.

“ICE shot a man in Austin today. I’m demanding transparency, accountability, and safety. Release the footage and records. Hold any officer who broke the law responsible. And get ICE out of our city,” Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) said in a post on the social platform X Sunday night.

Local state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D) said in her own post on X Sunday evening that “earlier today in North Austin, an ICE officer shot an individual in the back.”

“The victim is currently in critical condition, but alive. As I hope for their complete recovery, I call for a thorough, transparent investigation to gather the facts necessary for the pursuit of justice. I demand full accountability for the officer responsible,” Eckhardt added.

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE’s parent department, for comment.

NBC News reported Sunday that a Venezuelan man in Austin was shot and gravely injured by an ICE officer that afternoon, per a law enforcement source and officials.

According to the outlet, Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said that the Venezuelan man, who was in “in serious but stable condition,” had been hospitalized locally. According to Luckritz, the migrant was hit by gunfire in the torso.

NBC News also reported that the migrant is not legally in the U.S. and was facing a final order of removal, per the law enforcement source.

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who is currently enmeshed in a key race for the upper chamber , weighed in on the incident in his own statement Sunday. Talarico’s own state House district is in the Austin area.

“I am closely following reports of a shooting involving federal immigration officials in Austin,” Talarico said in the statement. “Previous incidents have shown that this agency cannot be trusted to report all the facts.”

“We need a full, independent investigation that includes the release of any and all available footage.”