Man shot by an ICE officer in North Austin pleads not guilty. What city officials have said and done since

A man who was shot and wounded by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in North Austin on Sept. 20 has pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of assaulting a federal officer, CBS Austin reported on Oct. 29.

According to CBS Austin:

• The encounter began while the man was making a food delivery. Prosecutors say he drove away from a traffic stop, struck an officer with his side mirror and then tried to hit the officer with his car, which led to the shooting. No body camera footage of the shooting itself exists, the station reported.
• A federal judge found him a flight risk and ordered him held on Sept. 30. A grand jury indicted him Oct. 20, and he pleaded not guilty Oct. 27. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
• His attorney says he entered the country legally, applied for asylum, and received a deportation order after missing a hearing whose notice the attorney says went to the wrong address.

The prosecution's account is an allegation that has not been tested at trial.

The shooting happened near West Anderson Lane and Research Boulevard, the Texas Tribune and Austin Current reported in September. Residents and business workers in the area described people avoiding the neighborhood afterward.

What officials have said

• Council Member José "Chito" Vela, whose District 4 includes the site, told the Tribune and Current in September that recent arrests in the area seemed random, including at gas stations and grocery store parking lots.
• Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri of District 9 said his office had received reports of suspicious activity from UT students, according to the same report.
• U.S. Rep. Greg Casar told CBS Austin that "the federal government can't be expected to just police themselves."
• City officials held a press conference at City Hall on Sept. 20, FOX 7 reported.

Immigration enforcement is federal. The City Council has no authority over ICE operations or federal prosecutions.

What our records add

A city report on immigrant residents and police. At an Aug. 25 council work session, the city's human rights officer told the council that immigrant and refugee residents fear contacting local police because of concerns about immigration enforcement. The briefing recommended clarifying the distinction between local policing and federal immigration enforcement and creating a formal reporting and accountability structure.

Legal services funding. On Sept. 24, the council extended the city's legal services agreement with American Gateways by $378,000, to a total of up to about $3.41 million, on consent, 10-1. Mayor Kirk Watson voted no on that and several other social services contract extensions the same day. Our social services story covers the review that followed. In October 2025, the council added $150,000 in one-time funding to the same agreement, 10-0.

At the dais. The shooting was raised at the Sept. 24 council meeting, four days after it happened.

What's next

The criminal case continues in federal court. CBS Austin reported that federal officials planned an Oct. 29 news conference in Dallas on a statewide enforcement operation; we have not found reported results. The council's next meeting is Nov. 5.