A US federal judge blocked the deportation of Venezuelan Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, 20 September 2026, and still held with a bullet lodged in his back, according to his lawyer.

The order by Judge Orlando L. Garcia, of the federal court in San Antonio, instructs Bobby Thompson, warden of the South Texas ICE Processing Center, to bring Garcés Pérez to a hearing on 30 September 2026; it was signed on Monday, 21 September, according to KXAN. Because his attendance is mandatory, he cannot be removed before the hearing, said his lawyer Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, who filed a federal lawsuit seeking a stay of removal and his release, according to the BBC. Travis County District Attorney José Garza wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and ICE Director David Venturella asking that the removal be paused while the shooting investigation continues, because Garcés Pérez is a central witness, according to Fox News. Congressman Joaquin Castro demanded his release from detention.