A Democratic congressman is seeking answers after alleging that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot a person during an operation Sunday morning in Austin, Texas.
Austin officials said they will discuss what the city called an “Immigration and Customs Enforcement shooting” at a 4 p.m. news conference Sunday at Austin City Hall. Mayor Kirk Watson, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis and Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz are expected to provide updates.
The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed to FOX 7 Austin that ICE was conducting an investigation in the 7000 block of West Anderson Lane. However, the agency did not confirm whether anyone had been shot or hurt.
“ICE investigation confirmed in the 7000 block of West Anderson, ICE is handling investigation,” a DPS public information officer told the outlet.
ICE agents gather near the site of a reported shooting in Austin, Texas. (KTBC)
Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, said in a post on X that “ICE has shot a person in Austin this morning.” He called for a complete independent investigation and urged officials to release body-camera footage immediately.
“Over and over, ICE has shot people and then lied about what happened,” Casar wrote. “We will demand truth, transparency and accountability.”
A crowd gathers near the scene of a reported ICE shooting in Austin, Texas. (KTBC)
Authorities have not yet disclosed additional information about the reported shooting.
The Austin incident comes as federal immigration enforcement actions face increased scrutiny and tensions continue to rise nationwide.
Authorities gather near a vehicle in the area where an ICE officer allegedly shot a person in Austin, Texas. (KTBC)
Protests and clashes broke out outside New Jersey’s Delaney Hall immigration detention center in May after demonstrators refused a state police order to move to a designated protest area. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka later condemned the tactics used by state troopers assigned to secure the facility, which had become a regular site of demonstrations.
Federal immigration enforcement also faced national attention in Minnesota after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Authorities said an ICE agent killed Good in early January after she attempted to use her vehicle to run over federal officers. Pretti was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Jan. 24 while recording federal officers, according to reports.
News Outlet contacted ICE, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Austin Police Department seeking further details and comment.
