AUSTIN, Texas — About 160 people gathered Sunday at a North Austin intersection where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot Wilber Garces Perez, as protesters called for immigration reforms and accountability.
The gathering at Anderson Square and Research Boulevard marked the second large demonstration at the site since the Sept. 20 shooting.
For Lucila Carlos, a master’s student at the University of Texas, Sunday’s demonstration marked her first protest.
Carlos carried a sign that called for full legalization for immigrants and referenced Ruben Ray Martinez, whom ICE agents killed in a separate shooting.
Carlos said immigration enforcement targeting Hispanic communities has worried her and her family.
“They came here to give me a better life and a better future for themselves as well,” Carlos said of her parents. “They’ve been able to give me such a better life. And they are such hard-working people. They are such genuine people that, I mean, it’s really tough to see that they’re being labeled as criminals.”
Christine Vo, an organizer with Stand Up! Houston, led chants during the demonstration.
Memorial remains at protest site
The intersection has remained a focal point for protests and memorials since Garces Perez’s shooting.
Protesters gathered there on Sept. 20 after the shooting and detention. Graffiti under the overpass later read “Free Wilber” and “ICE out of Texas, Justice for Wilber.”
A makeshift memorial at the site includes candles, flowers and a sign reading “Justice for victims of ICE.”
Another poster placed on an impromptu ofrenda reads “Justice for ICE victims.”
Arrests followed earlier protest
At least four people faced arrest in connection with the Sept. 20 demonstration on charges that included resisting arrest and rioting, according to Austin Lawyers Guild attorney Paul Quinzi.
Misael Ramos, a candidate for Austin City Council District 1, ranked among those arrested. Authorities later released Ramos from jail.
Ramos attended Sunday’s protest after his release.
