ICE Officer Shoots and Wounds Man During Traffic Stop in Austin, Texas

An officer with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency shot and wounded a man during a traffic stop in Austin, Texas, on Sunday afternoon. The incident took place on the city's north side and quickly drew anti-ICE protesters to the scene, according to local officials.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, speaking alongside the mayor and other city officials at a news conference, said the ICE officer first rammed the man's vehicle. The officer then got out of his federal vehicle and opened fire, discharging his weapon at least five times, according to consistent reporting. The man was struck once in the torso.

The wounded man was taken to a hospital, where he remains in serious but stable condition, officials said. His identity has not been released, nor have further details been provided about the original reason for the traffic stop.

Notably, 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 comment. This contrasts with the relatively swift and detailed communication from Austin's city government, which briefed the public on the same day the shooting occurred.

Protesters gathered near the scene shortly after news of the shooting spread, voicing opposition to ICE's tactics. Similar demonstrations have occurred in several US cities in recent months in connection with ICE operations, as civil rights groups and local political leaders increasingly question the agency's practices and oversight mechanisms.

Political leaders and advocacy groups are now calling for the release of bodycam footage from the involved officer to allow for an independent review of what transpired. As of now, there is no publicly confirmed information about whether the man was armed, whether he posed an immediate threat to the officer, or what circumstances led to the escalation.

The precise sequence of events during the stop, including why the officer rammed the vehicle before exiting and firing, remains under investigation. Neither the city nor ICE has released a complete account of the incident.

The shooting adds to a growing number of publicly scrutinized incidents involving ICE officers across the United States, incidents that have repeatedly sparked debate over transparency, accountability, and the use of firearms by federal agents during immigration enforcement operations.

It remains unclear what disciplinary or legal consequences, if any, the involved officer may face, and whether or when bodycam footage or further investigative findings will be made public. The current medical condition of the wounded man beyond the initial hospital report, as well as any additional witness accounts from the scene, have not been fully documented in available reporting.