ICE Fatalities Rise to 21 in Second Trump Term Amid Growing Backlash

At least 21 individuals have been shot by federal immigration agents since the start of the second Trump administration, according to an ABC News tally. The most recent incident occurred Sunday in Austin, Texas, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan national who was working as a DoorDash delivery driver.

An analysis by the network indicates that eight of these shootings resulted in death, including three involving U.S. citizens. Additionally, agents discharged their weapons in at least 15 other incidents without causing injury. The data draws from ABC reporting, government press releases, and statements from lawmakers.

The Austin shooting has intensified scrutiny of the administration’s deportation strategies. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., criticized the continued use of force during a Tuesday appearance, stating that hopes for an end to what he described as “physical brutality and inhumanity” had vanished. “Most recently, just days ago in Austin, Texas,” Blumenthal said.

In response, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) affirmed its commitment to enforcement operations in the city. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin pushed back against demands from Austin officials and some House Democrats for ICE to withdraw, asserting that the agency is tasked with enforcing laws passed by Congress. “We will not be slowing down or leaving Austin,” the department stated.

Mullin defended the officers’ actions on social media, accusing sanctuary city leaders of prioritizing undocumented immigrants over public safety. He described the individuals apprehended by ICE in Texas as including terrorists, pedophiles, drug traffickers, and fugitives wanted for murder. DHS alleged that Garces Perez was in the country illegally and subject to a final order of removal.

However, Garces Perez’s attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, contested those claims, stating her client entered the U.S. legally and had applied for asylum. Law enforcement sources told ABC News that the ICE officer involved was not wearing a body-worn camera at the time of the shooting.

Tensions surrounding ICE use of force were addressed Tuesday at a joint hearing before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Families of victims spoke about their experiences, including Donna Ganger, the mother of Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minnesota woman fatally shot by ICE in January.

Ganger, who voted for Trump, expressed dismay at the agency’s conduct. “I voted for President Trump under the impression that these agents were here to protect the citizens of the United States… Certainly not to accuse those of us here of being terrorists and take precious lives. This is madness,” she told lawmakers. The officer who shot Good has not faced charges.

Lorenzo Salgado Jr. also testified, detailing the death of his father, a 52-year-old Mexican man shot by ICE in Houston in July. He revealed that the family has yet to recover the deceased’s personal belongings, including his wallet and phone. “It’s been two and 2½ months, and we still don’t have my dad’s belongings back,” Salgado said.

Community advocates in Austin called for sustained pressure on federal agencies. Sulma Franco, director of the Grassroots Leadership Immigration Campaign, urged residents to remain engaged rather than returning to “business as normal.” Roman Palomares, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, cited the unresolved investigation into Salgado’s death as evidence of a lack of accountability.