Turning Point USA defended ICE officers involved in the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez while criticizing attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch and her client. The controversy arose after a deleted post by Lincoln-Goldfinch resurfaced, questioning how someone could resist being shot, seemingly referencing Charlie Kirk’s death. Surveillance footage showed federal vehicles pursuing Garces Perez before the incident, but details about his immigration status remain disputed between DHS and Lincoln-Goldfinch’s claims. A federal judge ordered Garces Perez to stay in the country for a hearing on September 30th.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Turning Point USA, led by Charlie Kirk, criticized attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch for supporting one of their members, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, who is accused of evading deportation. TPUSA defended federal immigration officers involved in the incident while criticizing Garces and his legal representation. In a deleted social media post, Lincoln-Goldfinch questioned how someone could resist being shot, referencing Charlie Kirk’s death. She later explained that her office removed the post due to possible misinterpretation, but the controversy around it led TPUSA to defend the immigration officers instead of their member.
Written for “ICE Shooting Controversy” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Kolvet, also executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” told Fox News Digital the organization backed the federal immigration officers involved while criticizing attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch and her client, 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez.
asserted
organization → tell → Goldfinch
“We stand with our brave men and women of ICE who are defending American sovereignty and keeping American citizens safe,” Kolvet said.
asserted
Kolvet → stand → citizens
“While everyone is entitled to their defense, it’s not surprising the quality of lawyer an illegal alien from Venezuela attracts who had a final notice of deportation before leading law enforcement on a dangerous high-speed chase.
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who → entitle → chase
“They seem a perfect match.”
asserted
They → seem → ?
Lincoln-Goldfinch drew criticism this week after a since-deleted social media post referencing Kirk resurfaced.
asserted
post → draw → Kirk
In the post, she questioned how someone could resist being shot while invoking Kirk.
uncertain
someone → question → Kirk
“How do you resist getting shot in the neck?
asserted
you → resist → neck
Does Charlie Kirk have any advice on that?” Lincoln-Goldfinch said in the post.
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Goldfinch → have → post
She previously addressed the controversy in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying her office determined the post could be interpreted differently than intended and removed it.
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post → address → it
“A post referencing the death of Charlie Kirk was removed from our account.
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post → reference → account
We recognized the post could be misconstrued, and that’s why it came down.
uncertain
it → recognize → ?
We have also addressed this issue internally,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said.
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Goldfinch → address → issue
The dispute came as new evidence emerged about the ICE operation that ended with Graces Perez being shot.
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Perez → come → operation
Surveillance footage published Wednesday showed at least two federal law enforcement vehicles pursuing Graces Perez’s vehicle with emergency lights flashing and sirens sounding before the shooting.
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sirens → publish → shooting
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the video’s authenticity to Fox News Digital.
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Department → confirm → Digital
Lincoln-Goldfinch has disputed the federal government’s account, saying Garces Perez was working as a DoorDash driver when an unmarked vehicle struck his car and that he did not initially know federal agents were pursuing him.
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agents → dispute → him
She has also challenged DHS’ characterization of his immigration status.
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She → challenge → status
DHS said Garces Perez is a Venezuelan national who had a final order of removal and was the subject of a targeted vehicle stop.
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who → say → stop
The department also said his work authorization had expired in 2025 and disputed claims about his treatment after the shooting.
“No amount of smears and false narratives will slow down ICE from doing its job to arrest illegal aliens from our communities,” DHS said.
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DHS → say → communities
Austin police released body camera footage Tuesday showing officers arriving immediately after the shooting and helping Graces Perez from his vehicle.
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officers → release → vehicle
The video contradicted an earlier claim that federal agents pulled him from the car, although the videos did not capture the shooting itself.
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videos → contradict → shooting
The shooting has also moved into federal court.
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shooting → move → court
Lincoln-Goldfinch’s firm filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Garces Perez’s immediate removal, and a federal judge ordered that he remain in the country so he can appear at a Sept. 30 hearing.
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he → file → hearing
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.
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circumstances → surround → investigation
Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the FBI, is leading the federal investigation, while Austin authorities have also reviewed evidence surrounding the encounter.
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authorities → lead → encounter
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