(AP) – An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded a man Sunday afternoon during a traffic stop in Austin, Texas, prompting an immediate law-enforcement response and a large protest at the scene.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the man was shot once in the torso on the city’s north side. He was transported to a hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition.
Davis emphasized that Austin police officers were not involved in either the federal operation or the shooting. She said local authorities had limited information in the early hours of the investigation, including the man’s nationality and the precise circumstances that led to the gunfire.
Austin police have assigned their special investigations unit to the scene. Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, said he wants the city police department involved so investigators can provide what he called “clear, third-party eyes” during the process.
Watson said he does not believe it would be appropriate for ICE to investigate the shooting by itself. He also said Austin residents have a right to feel safe and that a thorough investigation would help strengthen public confidence.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not participate in the city’s news conference and did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.
A significant law-enforcement presence remained in the area as roughly one hundred protesters gathered.
The shooting comes as the Trump administration continues a nationwide immigration-enforcement campaign. ICE reported more than 50,000 arrests per month in July and August, the first time the agency had reached that level.
The administration says stepped-up enforcement is necessary to uphold immigration law and remove dangerous individuals from the country. Critics have raised concerns following other shootings involving ICE officers, including the fatal shooting of a Houston-area man in July and the wounding of a Colombian man in Maine.
The Austin shooting remains under investigation. Officials say additional details are expected as investigators review evidence, interview witnesses and determine exactly what happened during the traffic stop.
PHOTO- In this photo taken with a smart phone Police stand in front of the area where an ICE officer shot a man in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jesse Bedayn)
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