Good morning, it's Monday, Sept. 21. An ICE agent shot and wounded a DoorDash driver in Austin on Sunday — and the key witness to what happened may be deported before anyone gets answers.

Also in today's issue: Trump's arch goes military, The drug deal fine print, Gas nears 2026 high, California locks down its ballots.

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A man was delivering food in Austin, Texas, on Sunday afternoon when an immigration agent shot him in the chest.

His name is Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. He's 28, originally from Venezuela. His wife has legal immigration status. His attorney says he has no criminal record. He was working a DoorDash delivery — one of the most ordinary jobs in America — when the encounter with ICE turned violent. As of Sunday night, no one outside the federal government has explained why.

If you've ever ordered food through an app, someone like Garces Perez brought it to your door. And now he's in federal custody with a gunshot wound, the agent who fired is under investigation by his own department, and the only civilian witness to what happened could be put on a plane before the investigation is finished. That's not a left-right question. That's an accountability question.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and EMS Chief Robert Luckritz confirmed Garces Perez was shot at least once in the torso and was in serious but stable condition. The Department of Homeland Security says he's undocumented, has a final order of removal — meaning a judge had already ordered him deported — and is now in custody pending removal. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, disputes the removal order claim and says he was following the legal process.

Here's where it gets complicated. Rep. Greg Casar, a Democrat from Texas, pointed out something that should concern anyone who cares about government accountability: if ICE deports Garces Perez, "the key witness to their shooting disappears." Whatever you think about immigration enforcement, when a federal agent shoots someone, that person needs to be available to give their account. Deporting him first would mean the only version of events comes from the agency whose employee pulled the trigger.

And this isn't isolated. This is the third ICE-involved shooting in Texas since March 2025. In Houston, agents executing a warrant killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo — who wasn't even the person named on it. On South Padre Island, agents killed Ruben Ray Martinez. In each case, the investigation was led by federal agencies reviewing their own people. DHS's Homeland Security Investigations division is now leading the Austin probe with FBI assistance. Austin police were not involved in the shooting at all.

The League of United Latin American Citizens has called on Congress to create independent oversight of immigration enforcement. That's worth taking seriously no matter where you stand on border policy. Police departments across America have civilian review boards. The military has inspectors general. The question isn't whether immigration laws should be enforced. It's whether the people enforcing them should investigate themselves when someone ends up with a bullet in their chest.

Protests broke out at the scene Sunday. Texas DPS troopers fired pepper balls at some demonstrators. A 13-year-old named Janney Olvera told reporters she was there because she wanted people to know this was "not right." A city councilmember who visited the scene said she saw bullet holes in Garces Perez's car.

What happens next will tell us a lot. If Garces Perez stays in the country long enough for an independent review, there's at least a chance the full story comes out. If DHS moves to deport him first, the only account of what happened on that Austin street will belong to the agency that fired the shot. Watch for whether Congress acts on calls for independent oversight — and whether federal courts get involved in blocking a deportation while the investigation is still open.

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Trump's arch goes military. President Trump announced Sunday that his proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery will now house drones, military snipers, and ammunition on its roof and plaza. He said he agreed "at the strong request of the United States Military." Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said groundbreaking is planned within two weeks — even though the project still needs final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission. The National Park Service quietly began calling the arch's observation deck a "military observation deck" back in August. The national-security framing follows the same approach the White House used for its East Wing ballroom: a legal reason that appeared only after courts started asking questions. Veterans groups have sued to block the arch, arguing it would destroy the historic view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

The drug deal fine print. Contracts between the Trump administration and Pfizer and Eli Lilly — obtained through FOIA lawsuits by the consumer group Public Citizen — show the president's drug-pricing deals included undisclosed tariff protections for the companies, incentives to raise drug prices overseas, and broad secrecy clauses. HHS pledged to treat all "Confidential Information" in the Pfizer agreement as exempt from public records requests. Key pricing terms remain heavily redacted, including reported carveouts for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro — among the most costly and widely used medications in the country. If those drugs are carved out of price cuts, the savings the White House promised wouldn't reach the patients paying the most. The administration says the deals will save Americans over $600 billion. Without seeing the actual terms, there is no way to check that claim.

Gas closing in on 2026 high. The national average hit $4.46 per gallon on Friday — up 16 cents in one week and within 10 cents of the year's peak. Diesel set a national record at $6.31 per gallon. Six states are above $5, with California leading at $6.11. Prices have climbed roughly 50% since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began February 28. On top of that, the Fed's first rate hike in three years pushed the 30-year mortgage rate to 6.95% — up nearly a full point since early July — and mortgage applications have dropped 19% from last year. A typical 15-gallon fill-up now costs about $18 more than it did a year ago, and for a $400,000 home, the higher rate adds roughly $200 a month to your payment.

California locks down its ballots. Governor Gavin Newsom signed 13 election-protection bills Saturday, creating new felonies for seizing ballots or election records before results are certified, and for interfering with mail-in ballot delivery. One bill bars other states' militaries from entering California without the governor's permission. The package includes $750,000 to combat election misinformation and builds on a law from earlier this year that blocks federal agents — including ICE — from accessing voter rolls or polling places without a court order. Newsom called it a direct response to what he described as the president's effort to control elections. The bills take effect 44 days before midterm elections that will decide control of Congress, directly affecting roughly 22 million registered voters.

That's how much gas prices have risen nationwide since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28. The national average stands at $4.46 per gallon, with diesel at a record $6.31.

P.S. Should ICE be allowed to deport someone they shot before an independent investigation is done? Hit Reply — one word is enough.