Tom Homan defends ICE after Austin shooting and vows continued enforcement

White House border czar Tom Homan addressed a recent shooting in Austin, Texas, involving Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez, a Venezuelan national with a final deportation order. Homan stated that Perez attempted to flee from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during an arrest attempt on September 20. Perez was hospitalized in stable condition following the incident.

Perez’s attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, alleged that ICE officers in an unmarked vehicle sideswiped Perez’s car twice while he was making a delivery. A federal judge has temporarily blocked Perez’s deportation pending a hearing on emergency relief. In response, Representative Greg Casar (D-Texas) called for an independent investigation and the release of body camera footage, accusing ICE of “terrorizing our country.”

In a separate address to a panel of victims of violent crimes, Homan vowed that ICE will continue to operate aggressively, specifically targeting sanctuary cities. He stated that the agency will “surge resources and flood the zone” to enforce federal law without apology, despite criticism from Democratic lawmakers and local officials.