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National Park Service director calls Yellowstone's wild bison recovery an 'incredible conservation story'
A little more than a century ago, Yellowstone's bison were hanging on by a thread.
Today, thousands of them roam the park. And the conservation challenge has shifted from simply saving the herd to figuring out how to manage a thriving one.
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During an interview with OutKick OutDoors, Jessica Bowron, acting director of the National Park Service, called the recovery an "incredible conservation story."
After millions of bison once roamed the Great Plains, the animals were nearly wiped out across their historic range. Rebuilding those populations, Bowron said, has taken decades of careful scientific work and cooperation among the Park Service and its Tribal, state, local and federal partners.
"To show up at Yellowstone today and have the experience as a visitor of seeing a wild bison in a functioning ecosystem, I don't know that we could have predicted that 100 years ago," Bowron said.
That's a pretty remarkable turnaround.
And now, Yellowstone's bison are helping build conservation herds far beyond the park itself.
Through the Bison Conservation Transfer Program, Yellowstone works with Tribal partners to relocate live bison that have completed the necessary quarantine process.
Since 2019, more than 600 bison have been transferred to 29 tribes across 13 states, according to Bowron. More than 200 were transferred in 2026 alone.
"This is one of the coolest parts of this entire conservation effort," Bowron said.
Once the animals are transferred, she explained, each tribe can manage its herd according to its own priorities and sovereignty.
"It's a great example of how we're able to establish and expand conservation herds through that kind of partnership," Bowron said.
But conservation success doesn't mean the work is finished.
In some places, rebuilding the population remains the goal. At Yellowstone, Bowron said the challenge now is largely about managing the healthy herd that's already there.
"I think at Yellowstone, we're in the latter — figuring out how to successfully manage the herd that we have with all of our partners," she said.
At the same time, the Park Service continues to pursue live-transfer opportunities with tribes interested in establishing or expanding conservation herds.
The Yellowstone story is also a reminder that conservation wins don't happen overnight.
Bowron said rebuilding bison populations has taken decades of scientific monitoring and cooperation among Tribal, state, local and federal partners.
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And even after a species rebounds, the work changes rather than disappears.
For generations, the question was whether wild bison could survive at all in places like Yellowstone.
Now, wildlife managers are dealing with a very different question: What do you do when the comeback works?
Bison don't care where Yellowstone's boundary lines are drawn. They move across a massive landscape, meaning managing a successful herd requires cooperation among the Park Service and the many communities and agencies surrounding it.
But the fact that there is a healthy herd to manage — and enough animals to help establish conservation herds elsewhere — would have been difficult to imagine a century ago.
For anyone who's ever sat in Yellowstone traffic because a bison decided the middle of the road belonged to him, it might be easy to forget just how close America came to losing that experience entirely.
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Today, seeing those animals wander through the park feels almost inevitable.
It wasn't always.
So yeah, you can definitely call it a comeback.
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Chiefs coach suggests Taylor Swift has sparked Travis Kelce's performance in first two weeks of season
Travis Kelce had a vintage game in the Kansas City Chiefs’ overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night.
He had nine catches on 11 targets for 101 yards and a touchdown. It was the first time he had gone over 100 yards receiving in a regular-season game since Nov. 4, 2024, against the Houston Texans. He also had 117 yards against the Texans in the playoffs back on Jan. 18, 2025.
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Kelce might be the first one to tell you that at 36 he can’t move the way he could at 26. However, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid suggested on Monday there may be a little added motivation given who he’s married to.
"Trav worked his tail off," Reid told reporters. "That's the bottom line, and I think he probably said it after the game somewhere there that the amount of work he put in. He likes his surrounding cast, that’s around him too, which sure helps as just an extra challenge there to make sure that you're up there and competing and doing your part with that other group.
"So, he takes a lot of pride in that, but I know … everybody questioned with the wedding and all that. Would he be out of shape and honeymooning the whole time and all that? But he works his rear end off and I think Taylor (Swift), you're putting on four-hour shows, you've got to work hard, too. So, I'm sure she kicks him in the butt a little bit there, too."
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Swift has been at both Chiefs games so far this year. Against the Colts, she flashed her wedding ring to the crowd when Kelce scored a touchdown. She let out a jubilant, "That’s my husband," when he scored.
Reid said Kelce’s focus on physical well-being was something that the tight end targeted in the offseason.
"He's really focused in on his body strength and his glutes and everything where you develop all the power and speed and maintain it and he's done a good job in those areas, where he's been able to maintain good explosiveness," Reid said.
The Chiefs picked up the narrow 33-30 victory against the Colts to move to 2-0 to begin the season.
Fury erupts over Mamdani parade invite as old Columbus insult resurfaces: ‘Are you kidding me?’
A decision to invite New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Manhattan’s annual Columbus Day Parade has sparked backlash among some Italian-American leaders.
The Columbus Citizens Foundation, which is responsible for holding the parade, invited Mamdani in the hopes of fostering a better relationship between City Hall and the Italian-American community, the New York Post reported. Mamdani’s past criticism of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, however, has sparked backlash among Italians who feel inviting the mayor is in poor taste.
"Are you kidding me? This is a WEAK and FECKLESS move by the organizers," Italian American Civil Rights League president Mike Crispi wrote on X. "Zohran has showed contempt for our people and kissing a** won’t change his true feelings. Italian Americans need to wake up and get tough. It’s the only way to preserve our culture."
Crispi’s criticism was a reference to a 2020 social media post where Mamdani posted a photo of himself brandishing his middle finger at a statue of Columbus with the caption "take it down." Columbus holds a near-legendary status among Italian Americans, with the 15th-century explorer viewed by many as a historic link between their heritage and the United States.
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"We feel cooperating is always the better path . . . and we hope to create a good relationship with his office," Columbus Citizens Foundation president Christopher Loiacono told the New York Post when asked about his decision to invite Mamdani. "We hope he will be more open to [working] with the Italian community."
It is unclear if Mamdani has accepted the invitation to the parade. Columbus Day falls on Monday, Oct. 12, with New York City’s annual Columbus Day Parade set for Manhattan.
"This is a man who has made it clear that he doesn’t respect Christopher Columbus, and he doesn’t even think us enough of a group to put on his immigrant enclave map," New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Republican from Queens, wrote in response. "Why would he want to be there? To get pictures and pretend he’s a paisan now? He should sit this one out."
Ariola’s comment was an apparent reference to a map of ethnic enclaves published by the city earlier this year that excluded Little Italy, which also sparked backlash from Italians. The map was initially created by the previous administration in 2023, and Mamdani said his administration added several neighborhoods before releasing the 2026 version.
Nonetheless, Mamdani has moved to update the map to include Little Italy.
A Columbus Day parade wouldn’t be the first public event Mamdani has attended this year to draw organized opposition to his presence. The mayor’s presence at the annual memorial service at Ground Zero on Sept. 11 spurred some family members of victims to circulate a petition demanding that he stay home.
"Just as Mamdani's presence at the 9/11 Ceremony was inappropriate, we Italian/Americans don't want him on Columbus Day either," right-wing political operative Roger Stone wrote on X.
Some non-Italians are offended on behalf of the community.
FAMILIES OF 9/11 VICTIMS' MESSAGE TO MAMDANI: 'PLEASE DO NOT COME' TO MEMORIAL CEREMONY
"I’m not Italian but I’ve been an honorary dignitary for 5 years running at the Columbus Day Parade thanks to my friend Angelo Vivolo," Jewish radio host Sid Rosenberg wrote on X. "The organizers of the parade invited [Mamdani] to attend? What? This Radical Islam mother f*cker gave the finger to a Columbus statue and left Little Italy/Arthur Avenue OFF his bullsh*t immigrant map … When did my Italian brothers and sisters become so soft! … I will NOT attend this year if he is there."
"The Italians need to step up and stop this!" he added.
Crispi has threatened to hold a competing Columbus Day parade next year if the Columbus Citizens Foundation does not revoke its invitation to the mayor.
The Mayor’s office and the Columbus Citizens Foundation did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
'The View' host Sunny Hostin claims her children experienced racism at private schools
"The View" co-host Sunny Hostin suggested Monday that her children faced racism while attending "predominantly White" private schools.
Hostin brought up the topic while discussing 1619 Project founder and The New York Times Magazine reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones, who recently admitted she regretted aspects of her decision to send her daughter to predominantly Black, high-poverty public schools in Brooklyn in an effort to challenge educational inequality.
Hostin empathized with Hannah-Jones' situation but suggested there were additional problems with sending Black children to "predominantly White" private schools.
"I think that this is a decision broadly that all parents make when it comes to educating their kids, but ... this is a very difficult decision for Black parents, in particular, because I made a very different decision," Hostin said. "I sent my children to private schools, a predominantly White private school. So, while they didn't suffer academically, they excelled, but it was a well-funded school, a private school, well-resourced school, they suffered a different type of pain."
"There was psychological trauma, there was racism that they experienced," she added. "They were bullied. There was, you know, trauma around their identity. My daughter wears a big afro, kids were trying to stick pencils in her hair. Boys were calling her butter face, meaning she looked good, but her face, and she is a beautiful girl."
While Hostin conceded that her children "did not struggle academically" like Hannah-Jones' daughter reported, she expressed concerns about the "systemic problem" affecting predominantly non-White school districts.
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"So I think the real question here is, nationally, schools in predominantly non-White districts receive $23 billion less in annual funding than their White counterparts. Underfunded schools versus well-funded schools. So public schools are funded from property taxes. So we need to look at the systemic problem that's happening in this country around public education," Hostin said.
Fox News Digital reached out to ABC and Ethical Culture Fieldston School, where Hostin previously sent her children, for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
In a comment to Fox News Digital, Hannah-Jones said that the broader focus should remain on families who lack the resources to pursue better educational options for their children, rather than her decisions for her children.
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"I hope people concerned about the choice my husband and I made for our daughter will have equal or more outrage for the thousands of Black children whose parents don’t have the resources to send them to better schools," she said. "As I write in the piece, there is no absolution to be had for any of us."
Rep Eric Burlison: 'Most of my colleagues' are 'drunk on spending other people's money, even Republicans'
Facing a national debt that has exploded past $40 trillion, Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison isn't holding back on his own colleagues — accusing Washington lawmakers on both sides of the aisle of being "drunk on spending" while working-class families pay the price.
Burlison recently sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital to discuss fiscal prudence, healthcare, inflation, and how Republicans can lift their fortunes ahead of midterm elections just six weeks away.
CONGRESSMAN ERIC BURLISON: IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, 'THE INMATES ARE RUNNING THE PRISON'
"Most of my colleagues like to spend money…they like to spend other people's money. They're drunk on spending other people's money, even Republicans, unfortunately, and there's few people up here like myself who were willing to make significant spending reductions.
"And so we had to fight tooth and nail to get any spending reductions in the Big, Beautiful Bill. And we were demonized by the left, obviously, but we had to fight members even on our own side of the aisle to make those spending reductions.
"But, look, at some point, the party is going to be over, and we are all gonna wake up in a drunken stupor with a hangover, and it's going to be painful, and we're going to have to figure out how to get our way out of that.
"All of these sins of overspending are haunting us. And now we're seeing…inflation that we can't control. We're seeing the interest rates go through the roof. At some point, you can't keep borrowing money…Sadly, my colleagues that weren't willing to cut spending are going to be forced to cut spending."
Despite seeking to portray themselves as the party of affordability, the GOP seems to have a major messaging problem as it heads into the tumultuous midterm elections.
Burlison points to healthcare as the main problem:
"I mean, again, it's really sad. This office has been broadcasting to the leadership every chance that we can that the American people are feeling the crunch, they're feeling the affordability crunch. We put together a solution that we call the Great American healthcare plan. We also have another bill that addresses the housing affordability issue.
"This office has been doing everything we can to try to fix the affordability issue and have been putting these ideas and solutions in the faces of leadership for at least two years. It's just unfortunate that we can't get people to do the difficult things. And sadly that's because Washington DC doesn't like to do difficult things and fixing healthcare is the number one thing that we should be looking to do.
"Healthcare cost is eating away everyone's discretionary dollars…In the year 2000, the average American family was paying $6,000 a year for insurance premiums for a family of four. Today, that's $27,000 a year. If that had followed normal inflation, that would only be $11,000 per year.
"So if you ask the average family of four, would you like to be paying health insurance premiums at $11,000 a year, they would say, heck, yeah, that sounds like a great deal. That is not what they're paying today. They're paying $27,000. So if you think about that, just that alone, that is crowding out everything else that the average American family has to pay. You have to come up with another $16,000 that you didn't have to come up with before, in order to pay for a healthcare system that has exceeded inflation by three-fold.
"So three times normal inflation for the healthcare premiums, health insurance premiums. It's not sustainable, and it's crowded out everything else, and it is the reason why young people cannot afford to buy a home. It's the reason why people have a hard time going out to eat. It's a reason why people aren't going on vacation as much. People are having to make very difficult choices, and it's not the same choices that people had to make 20 years ago."
As Elon Musk and DOGE-fervor swept across the nation's capital at the beginning of 2025, Burlison's initial enthusiasm soon turned to disappointment as he saw colleagues avoid much-needed spending cuts:
"DOGE was the most exciting thing I've ever seen in politics. And I was super excited about it. But I also was skeptical. I watched Elon come give speeches to my colleagues. And what was ironic is that some of the most swampy members of Congress were rushing to the microphones to embrace Elon to talk to him to tell him where he should go to look for spending reductions.
"And yet those very people were the ones that were voting against every spending reduction that you would ever bring to the floor. We've had hundreds and hundreds of opportunities to cut spending… We submitted hundreds of amendments to the appropriations committees to cut spending and yet each and every time, anytime there's ever a vote to cut spending, they fail.
"So, look. All we have to do as Republicans is look in the mirror and say where's the problem? It's me, it's us…I'm one of these almost going extinct members of the Republican Party that still believes in fiscal prudence, still believes and in cutting spendings this small government free market conservative. But unfortunately, that's not how all of my colleagues feel."
Burlison argues that the GOP has a fundamental messaging problem and has urged his colleagues to zero in on their economic pitch to the American public, with a particular focus on the healthcare crisis:
"So, in my opinion, it's not enough to run against a platform. If you have to provide a vision to the American people, and if you ask the American voter today, what will the Republican Party do if they're reelected…I don't think that they would know. And so to me, the vision that I would provide is to say, 'we're going to fix healthcare. We're going to make healthcare affordable. We're gonna to make it a free market. The prices are going to be transparent, and you're going to know exactly what you're buying'."
Finally, Burlison has a quick prescription for bringing down pain at the pump tied to the engagement in Iran:
"Well, conservatives, we love cutting taxes and I think that we should be cutting the fuel taxes during this period of time. I would love to eliminate the taxes altogether, but at least it would make sense that during this conflict that we should cut taxes on both gas and diesel until this war is resolved.
"I think that that would have a pretty good impact on people's pocketbooks. I mean you're talking for diesel that would be 40 cents a gallon. That's, that's pretty significant."
Italian PM pushes foreign student cap in classrooms, burqa, niqab ban in schools
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced plans Sept. 20 to introduce legislation capping the number of foreign students in Italian classrooms and banning face-covering garments, including burqas and niqabs, in schools.
The conservative leader said her proposed measures aim to foster integration, preserve Italian cultural identity and ensure that native children do not feel sidelined in the classroom.
"There’s no way that in an Italian classroom, the ones who feel marginalized are Italian children because they have become a minority," Meloni said during a speech to Gioventù Nazionale, the youth wing of her conservative Brothers of Italy party, in Rome, according to reports.
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Under the proposal, individual classrooms would have limits on non-Italian students to prevent heavy concentrations in specific districts.
Meloni did not specify the exact cap but said the government would also require mandatory Italian-language lessons for parents of foreign pupils who struggle to integrate.
"For us, anyone who comes to Italy and wants to build their future here must learn our language, understand our culture, and respect our rules," Meloni said, The Associated Press reported.
"It is the only serious way to welcome them."
Students who don't hold Italian citizenship account for around 11.6% of school enrollment nationwide, according to Italy’s Education Ministry cited by the ISMU ETS Foundation.
Under Italian law, children born to foreign parents also do not automatically gain citizenship at birth and must wait until age 18 before they can apply.
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Meloni argued that high concentrations of non-native speakers impact the learning process for everyone involved.
"If in a classroom there is only one child who doesn’t understand Italian, it is possible that that child will manage, with the help of his peers and teachers, to learn the language and integrate fast," she said.
"But if these children are many, or even the majority, that’s not integration anymore, that’s abandonment."
The proposed package also targets religious face coverings, explicitly prohibiting burqas and niqabs in educational institutions while permitting other forms of Islamic dress, such as the hijab.
In a series of posts on X on Monday, the Brothers of Italy party reinforced the prime minister’s message:
"Those who choose to build their future in Italy must learn our language, know our culture, and respect our rules.
"School is attended with one's face uncovered. No tradition can impose on a young woman the obligation to hide herself."
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A subsequent post added: "Limit on the number of foreign students in classrooms, obligation for parents of pupils with serious integration difficulties to learn Italian, and ban on burqas and niqabs in educational institutions.
"Integration comes through knowledge of our language, respect for our rules, and protection of our cultural identity."
Several European neighbors, including France and Belgium, have previously imposed bans on face-coverings in public places, though enforcement and legal frameworks differ.
The proposed Italian legislation is expected to be considered by Italy’s Council of Ministers before being sent to Parliament for consideration.
Meloni, who has led Brothers of Italy since 2014 and served as president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party from 2020 to 2025, has governed Italy since 2022.
Her administration recently surpassed previous records set by Silvio Berlusconi to become the longest-serving uninterrupted government in modern Italian history.
Michael Penix Jr. officially named Falcons starter for a short-week trial by fire against Packers
The mercifully short Cooper Rush era in Atlanta is officially dead, even if unwatchable Falcons football is still alive and well. Head coach Kevin Stefanski officially named Michael Penix Jr. QB1 for Thursday night’s clash against the Packers, desperately seeking any sign of life from an offense that hit absolute rock bottom during an atrocious 0-2 start.
Penix has been sidelined since November 2025 after suffering his third career ACL tear in a Week 11 loss to Carolina. After playing it cautious all summer and splitting first-team reps last week, Penix finally gave his reconstructed left knee the green light.
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The change became an absolute necessity after Sunday's brutal 34-3 beatdown. Through two weeks, Atlanta's offense has limped to just 16 total points and hasn't snapped the ball a single time inside the red zone.
ATLANTA FALCONS ARE DEALING WITH THE WORST QUARTERBACK SITUATION IN THE NFL AND IT ISN'T EVEN CLOSE
Rush was handed the Week 2 start after putting up a dismal 2.6 QBR in the opener, and the sequel was even uglier. He coughed up three turnovers against Carolina with two picks and a lost fumble before getting benched in the third quarter. Undrafted rookie Jack Strand entered in relief and immediately tossed a pick-six, capping off a complete disaster for Atlanta's passing game.
Atlanta ended up in this spot after offseason signee Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during a Thursday practice right before Week 1. Tagovailoa had won the starting job in training camp, leaving Rush to take over by default.
FALCONS NAME SIXTH DIFFERENT WEEK 1 STARTING QUARTERBACK IN SIX YEARS
Stefanski held off on making the announcement official until addressing the locker room on Monday afternoon.
"I will give you an update when I've been able to talk to the players and work through it," Stefanski shared. "So, I don't have an update right this minute. But again, constant communication with Mike, with all of our guys, so we'll work through it this week."
Penix is getting thrown straight into the fire on a short week at Lambeau Field.
Facing Green Bay's pass rush on limited practice reps is a heavy ask, but Penix's arm strength gives Atlanta its best shot at backing defenses off, opening lanes for Bijan Robinson and perhaps getting Drake London and Kyle Pitts involved.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
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Trips across the country can be daunting for some people, but the New York Giants are on a mission in Week 2 of the NFL to prove they are ready for any challenge. The Giants travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams, and Fanatics Sportsbook is giving you an opportunity to bet $20 and receive $350 in bonus bets when using code FOXNEWS350.
The New York Giants have all the hope in the world. They won their opening game over the Cowboys last week. This was the first game with John Harbaugh calling the shots, and he didn’t miss. The team won 28-20 against Dallas. It wasn’t just Harbaugh's arrival that was great in this one; returning players made a major impact. Cam Skattebo returned to action after a brutal injury that ended his rookie season. Malik Nabers also came back and added a boost to the receiving corps. Now they look to replicate it across the country.
Speaking of intimidating travel, the Rams made a bold choice in Week 1 to travel very shortly before the game to Australia and play the 49ers. They were destroyed. The only good news is they left two hours after the game, so they didn’t have to stay long for that one. Still, this team looked like anything but a Super Bowl contender. Matt Stafford couldn’t get anything going for the Rams, and the defense lost Myles Garrett this week. They need to get back on track in a hurry in one of the most competitive divisions of football.
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ESPN deserves credit for pushing back on Dan Le Batard’s false accusation of racism
ESPN published a statement in response to former employee Dan Le Batard accusing the network of harboring a pro-White racial bias.
"[Le Batard's accusation] is simply an inaccurate and irresponsible characterization of ESPN, our talent and our talent leadership," the network said in a statement to Awful Announcing. "ESPN has the deepest and most diverse roster of commentators in the industry, bringing a wide range of expertise, experiences and perspectives to our coverage. We are proud of the team we have built and will continue investing in new voices."
For background, Le Batard claimed last week that ESPN "only" pays and elevates White on-air commentators. He cited recent contract extensions for Joe Buck, Pat McAfee, Josh Pate, Rich Eisen, the Golics, Jason Kelce and Peter Schrager.
The claim is demonstrably false.
The claim is demonstrably false.
Last week, OutKick documented several examples contradicting Le Batard’s accusation. We asked him for comment and highlighted the hypocrisy of his criticism. Le Batard runs his own media company, Meadowlark Media, which employs a staff made up almost entirely of White men.
He did not respond to our inquiry.
To advance his argument, Le Batard disregarded the substantial evidence that contradicts it. He listed the White commentators ESPN has paid and elevated while omitting the many Black talents who have received lucrative contracts and significant promotions in recent years.
That list includes Stephen A. Smith, Michael Wilbon, Malika Andrews, Monica McNutt, Marcus Spears, Jason McCourty, Kendrick Perkins and many others.
In fact, viewers are far more likely to encounter an all-Black cast of commentators on ESPN — including in the network’s WNBA studio programming — than the reverse.
It appears Le Batard is less concerned with racial balance than he is with the fact that ESPN no longer excludes White people from its promotion process, as it once did.
Between 2020 and 2023, talent agents acknowledged that White clients, particularly White men, were effectively ineligible for promotion because of diversity initiatives.
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It is unusual for a media network to respond publicly to criticism of this nature. ESPN nevertheless deserves credit for directly addressing Le Batard’s accusations.
For too long, the targets of baseless racism accusations have allowed them to go unanswered. That silence has enabled grifting racial ideologues like Le Batard to make such claims with increasing regularity.
He likely did not expect ESPN to respond by exposing the weakness of his argument.
That said, one must question whether Le Batard’s strategy will ultimately succeed. ESPN management is, if nothing else, reactionary. Nothing appears to frighten the network more than accusations of racism, even when they are unfounded, as they almost always are.
Consider, for example, ESPN executive Burke Magnus re-hiring Stan Verrett, despite all his unprofessional tweets, seemingly in response to Ryan Clark blaming racism for why Magnus fired him. (Note: Racism was not why Magnus fired Clark.)
We would not be surprised if Magnus responds to Le Batard’s similarly dishonest accusations by overpaying and over-elevating random Black talents.
Perhaps he will look to bring back Mark Jones or Jemele Hill as further evidence that he is willing to rehire people whose primary contribution is racial grievance. We would not doubt it.
Magnus wants to prove he is not a racist (even though he clearly isn't one).
But if he had a backbone, he would continue moving ESPN toward a meritocratic system and let hypocrites like Le Batard preach about diversity while running a media company staffed almost exclusively with white men.
Austin ICE shooting sparks fight over Venezuelan illegal immigrant's deportation
One of the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights groups called Monday for the Venezuelan illegal immigrant who was shot during an ICE pursuit in Austin to not be deported, arguing he is a key witness in the investigation into officers' use of force.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) made the statements Monday afternoon after an agent shot and wounded Wilber Rafael Garces Perez during a traffic stop. Garces Perez was hospitalized in serious but stable condition. The shooting sparked protests in Austin and calls from local officials for an independent investigation.
"Wilber is a victim of the shooting and the most important witness to it. You do not deport the key witness to your own officers' use of force," LULAC CEO Juan Peruano said.
According to Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, the attorney for Garces Perez and his wife, Garces Perez was delivering DoorDash when an "unmarked black truck sideswiped him."
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She said he did not know the vehicle was operated by ICE and subsequently made a U-turn under the highway before the agents continued to pursue him.
"The truck chased him and sideswiped him again. And the agents came out and shot him in the back of the neck and pulled him out of the car," Lincoln-Goldfinch said.
Lincoln-Goldfinch also claimed Garces Perez did not receive sufficient medical care, and the bullet remained lodged hours after the shooting.
ICE OFFICER PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO LYING ABOUT MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING INVOLVING VENEZUELAN MAN
"We learned that at 4:00 he still had a bullet lodged in his back. He was shot here in his back, and they didn't take the bullet out, and they didn't give him pain medication. And they transferred him to ICE, to a processing center, where he spent the night without a bed," Lincoln-Goldfinch said. "There is absolutely zero justification for having shot him in the back of the neck. And this is why we're calling for a stop to ICE traffic stops. ICE officers are over armed, overpaid, under trained and violent. They don't know how to safely conduct traffic stops."
According to his attorney, Garces Perez had a work permit and was seeking asylum after entering the U.S. in 2024 through the CBP One app, which the Biden administration expanded to allow migrants to request asylum at ports of entry.
His attorney claimed he received a removal order after a notice for his immigration hearing was sent to his old address, despite him having updated his address with the court.
"He changed his address with the immigration court, and a notice of hearing was sent to his old address. He didn't know he had a hearing. He didn't go. And so he got a deportation order in absentia, which is a very common thing," she said. "The court is notorious for sending notices of hearings to the wrong address. So it appears that that is what happened with him. That's why he has a removal order. We are working on that."
She continued to condemn the accounts provided by federal agents, claiming ICE officials do not tell the truth.
"We are fed up with ICE and DHS telling us lies about what has happened in these incidents where people are being murdered and shot," she said.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett echoed Lincoln-Goldfinch's assertions, claiming that federal immigration officials often lie.
"ICE has no credibility anymore. It lies. We know it lies. We've seen it demonstrated again and again, and we need the kind of independent structure to demand some accountability," he said.
DHS sources confirmed to Fox News on Sunday that Garces Perez is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela with a final order of removal.
DHS said Garces Perez illegally entered the United States under the Biden administration. The agency said he was shot during a law enforcement operation.
"The illegal alien's condition is stable, and he is in federal custody pending removal," DHS added on X.