Two fatal Minneapolis shootings by Border Patrol came eight months earlier
A federal immigration agent shot a person in North Austin on Sunday morning, prompting Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Rep. Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat, to call for an independent investigation and demand the immediate release of body camera footage.
The victim was taken to a local trauma center, according to authorities. Austin police described the person as being in serious but stable condition.
The White House and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to requests for comment.
Watson, a Democrat, condemned the shooting and called for an independent probe.
“Someone being shot on the streets of Austin by someone purporting to be law enforcement, particularly when it’s ICE, is something that causes me to be unhappy,” Watson said. “While I’m not happy—and angry—about it I’m not surprised at all.”
Casar, a Texas Democrat, posted on social media that “the horror has come to our city: ICE has shot a person in Austin this morning.”
“As the facts emerge, I am demanding a full, independent investigation, immediate release of the body camera footage, and accountability for any ICE officer who broke the law,” Casar said.
Casar alleged a pattern of federal immigration officers misrepresenting shootings. “Over and over, ICE has shot people and then lied about what happened,” he said. “We can see the lies with our own eyes. We will demand truth, transparency and accountability.”
Since President Trump returned to office, ICE has dramatically increased its operations and has arrested thousands of people suspected of immigration offenses. In parts of the country, ICE’s operations have met strong opposition, and in some cases the agency has detained U.S. citizens as part of its program of arrests. The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump has defended his immigration crackdown, which has largely taken place in a number of Democrat-leaning cities, including Los Angeles and New York City.
The Austin incident comes eight months after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, an episode that sparked a political uproar. Backlash to the Minneapolis shootings, even from some Republican lawmakers, prompted Trump to soften his stance.
He eventually removed Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander leading the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, from his post, and dispatched Tom Homan, the president’s border czar, to take direct control.