Man shot by ICE in Texas is back in detention after leaving hospital, attorney says

• September 22, 2026

By ANNA WILDER

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Venezuelan man shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Texas was back in a federal detention center Tuesday after being taken to a hospital for a second time with a bullet still lodged in his back, according to his attorney.

A federal judge also ordered Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, who was shot Sunday in Austin, to appear in court next week following a lawsuit that sought to stop his removal from the U.S.

Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Perez’s attorney, said in a video posted to social media Tuesday that the 28-year-old man was “still in a lot of pain.”

Perez was being held at a federal detention facility in the remote South Texas town of Pearsall, according to Texas Democratic U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, who has joined others in his party in sharply criticizing the shooting that occurred amid a surge in ICE enforcement during President Donald Trump’s second term. The violent encounter has also sparked protests in Austin, including a gathering outside the Texas Capitol on Monday night.

Perez was making a DoorDash delivery Sunday afternoon when ICE officers in an unmarked truck sideswiped his car twice, Lincoln-Goldfinch has said. He was shot and taken to a hospital, then released into ICE custody with a bullet still in his back. Perez went back to the hospital Monday evening after complaining of pain and was taken back into ICE custody around midnight, Lincoln-Goldfinch said.

Court filings from Perez’s lawyers indicated he was forced to sleep on a cement floor at an ICE temporary processing center, and then at 4 a.m. Monday, ICE transferred him to the Pearsall facility. A temporary restraining order from his attorneys said he was also subject to interrogation without legal representation present.

Lincoln-Goldfinch wrote on social media that he was taken back to the hospital around 5 p.m. Monday after he began experiencing a loss of sensation in his arm.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not immediately respond to email messages Tuesday. The agency has released little information and has not said what prompted the shooting. In a statement early Monday, the department said it was investigating the shooting of a Venezuelan man in the U.S. illegally who “had a final order of removal.”

On Tuesday, the department responded on social media to a video of Texas Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Casar saying Austin will be safer once ICE leaves, calling it a “ludicrous statement.”

“No amount of smears and false narratives will slow down ICE from doing its job by removing dangerous illegal aliens from our communities,” the agency posted.

On Monday, Perez called into a news conference and told reporters he had received no pain medication and slept on the floor.

Castro posted on social media that he planned to visit Perez on Wednesday to “check on his condition and demand his release.”

In response to the lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ordered Perez to appear in person at a hearing Sept. 30 in San Antonio.

Wilder is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

​ Orange County Register 

Former Rep. Katie Porter appointed to California Community Colleges Board

• September 22, 2026

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed former Rep. Katie Porter to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.

The board sets policies and other guidance for the 116 colleges and 73 districts that are part of California Community Colleges. The position pays a $100 per diem, and Porter will need confirmation from the state Senate to join the board, according to the governor’s office.

The Irvine Democrat has also returned to teaching at the UC Irvine School of Law — instructing a bankruptcy law course — after losing in the gubernatorial primary earlier this year.

Porter spent nearly a decade in politics, a career that included a progressive and high-profile six years in the U.S. House.

The Yale University and Harvard Law School alumna opted to run for an open U.S. Senate seat in California in 2024, rather than run for reelection. Porter, who counts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, as her mentor, lost in the primary to eventual winner Adam Schiff and former Dodgers star Steve Garvey.

She then jumped in early for the open race for California governor, with a campaign drawing on her congressional record of taking on corporate interests and President Donald Trump. Porter was briefly considered to be leading the pack of Democrats vying for governor but failed to gain traction, particularly after a pair of videos showing her interactions with a journalist and former staffer went viral. She then — and in later debates — said she’s apologized and taken responsibility.

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Fox News host Steve Hilton both advanced in the gubernatorial primary.

In June, after her election loss, Porter said the gubernatorial campaign only reinforced her interest in policymaking, and she said she planned to continue doing that sort of work in some capacity.

“I’m excited to be in my position as a law professor, where my job is to generate good ideas. I think this campaign was a real reminder of how much I like doing that,” Porter said then.

Lately, Porter has also been active on social media, where she has shared what’s on her reading list, some brutally honest book reviews, behind-the-scenes looks at local author talks and recommendations for younger readers, like her own kids.

​ Orange County Register 

‘LEAVE NOW’ — evacuations ordered in La Verne after lithium-ion battery fire

• September 22, 2026

Evacuation orders were issued Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 22 after a lithium-ion battery fire broke out at a Metropolitan Water District facility in La Verne, authorities said.

The fire erupted in the 3000 block of Wheeler Avenue, according to CBS Los Angeles.

La Verne police described it as a hazardous-materials incident involving lithium-ion batteries.

An Alert LA County map showed evacuation areas stretching south of the 210 Freeway through portions of La Verne, including areas near Foothill Boulevard, Bonita Avenue and Third Street. The alert also identified B Street, North White Avenue and Williams Avenue among the boundaries of the affected area.

“LEAVE NOW,” the alert said, warning that people’s safety could be in danger if they remained in the area.

Police also ordered residents east of Wheeler Avenue to shelter in place and keep windows and doors closed until further notice, according to CBS Los Angeles.

Shelter-in-place orders were also issued for Grace Miller Elementary School and Bonita High School, CBS reported.

Authorities urged people evacuating the area to use caution and call 911 if they needed emergency assistance.

The cause of the fire and whether anyone was injured were not immediately known.

​ Orange County Register 

Rams uncertain about WR Puka Nacua’s status for Week 3 at Broncos

• September 22, 2026

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua’s status for Sunday night’s game at the Denver Broncos remains in question after he missed Monday’s win over the Giants with a groin injury, head coach Sean McVay said in his early-morning press conference on Tuesday.

“I’m not sure what his status is as far as this next coming week,” McVay said. “I’m hopeful that he’ll play.”

Nacua dealt with a psoas issue during training camp but was healthy enough to play in Week 1, catching five passes for 74 yards. But the groin issue popped up during Friday’s practice.

He was able to get through that workout, but when he returned to the facility on Saturday, he was feeling sore, McVay said Monday.

“When you have soft tissue injuries with guys like that, that are skill players, you’re going to err on the side of caution,” McVay said. “I don’t know how his pregame warm-up went. I know that was a big part of even maybe making him active if he felt good enough with the pregame warm-up. But that obviously wasn’t the case, so if he’s ready to go, great. If not, then we’ll continue to roll.”

The Rams certainly did that against the Giants with four touchdowns and 481 yards of total offense. Receiver Davante Adams accounted for 195 yards and two scores as he sucked up much of the oxygen of the passing game in Nacua’s absence.

The only other Ram to go for over 20 yards receiving was tight end Terrance Ferguson, who caught six passes for 54 yards, matching his previous career high set twice during his rookie campaign. The 2025 second-round pick moved around behind the line of scrimmage prior to snaps as the Rams used his ability to both block and slip out into soft spots in the coverage to keep the Giants unbalanced.

It wasn’t a perfect night for Ferguson, with a couple of dropped passes. But the second-year tight end was able to shake it off for his first touchdown of the season.

“Obviously, I had those two drops, and those were totally on me and something I want back,” Ferguson told reporters after the game. “But also, just the confidence they have to be able to come back to me really means a lot to me and builds that confidence up for me.”

McVay spoke with Ferguson briefly after one drop that cost the Rams a third-down conversion, but overall was pleased with how Ferguson bounced back and impacted the game with his ability to pick up yards after the catch.

“I have a lot of belief in Terrence Ferguson. Hopefully he feels that. I know his teammates do as well,” McVay said. “I thought he made a great catch when we ended up coming back to him and some other opportunities where he’s just going to keep getting better and better.”

Bailey’s opportunity

Ferguson wasn’t the only Ram to step up in the face of an injury on Monday. Undrafted rookie outside linebacker Wesley Bailey has been thrust into a rotational role with Myles Garrett on injured reserve.

Against the Giants, he only played 19 snaps and rushed the passer nine times. But he made the most of the opportunity with the first sack of his career, bull rushing through his blocker before catching Jameis Winston as he tried to step up and escape the pocket.

“Wes, that was awesome for him to be able to get his first career sack,” McVay said. “I’m really pleased and proud of that group. ‘Wes’ certainly did a nice job for us.”

​ Orange County Register 

OC had 55 million-dollar ZIPs in June. Was yours included?

• September 22, 2026

Orange County had 55 ZIP codes with median selling prices of $1 million or more in June.

The county had 53 million-dollar ZIPs in May, according to homebuying data from Attom.

June’s seven-figure neighborhoods had a collective 2,972 sales in the month, or 76% of the 3,925 homes bought countywide that month.

Of those high-end communities, 10 had median prices above $2 million with total sales of 319 homes or 8% of all Orange County homes sold.

June’s highest-priced ZIP with five or more sales was Newport Beach 92661 at $4.15 million.

The lowest-priced ZIP was Laguna Woods 92637 at $497,000.

Full list of ZIPs is below or CLICK HERE!

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com

• Try Jonathan Lansner’s Substack collection of economic trends. CLICK HERE!

August’s most popular Southern California real estate stories …

No. 1: Where is OC’s hottest homebuying neighborhood?

No. 2: 338-unit affordable housing complex breaks ground in Tustin

No. 3: Peek inside this Newport Coast estate that sold for $39M

No. 4: Enderle Center sold, Campo on 17th moves ahead in Tustin

No. 5: Rents rise in just 22% of SoCal. See which cities got hikes

No. 6: Home prices dip in 38% of OC. How did your ZIP do?

No. 7: LA-OC’s worst-paying jobs: Can those wages pay the rent?

No. 8: LA-OC homes still ‘unaffordable’ even with a 0% mortgage

No. 9: Corona del Mar retail center trades hands, a first in 80 years

No. 10: California housing is frozen, but not underwater

​ Orange County Register 

Trump administration to remove 760,000 Affordable Care Act enrollees over fraud claims

• September 22, 2026

By FATIMA HUSSEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance and other Trump administration officials said Tuesday they plan to remove 760,000 Affordable Care Act enrollees from public healthcare exchanges, alleging that the individuals were fraudulently enrolled in the program, or simply do not exist.

Vance said the discovery and canceled subsidy payments for hundreds of thousands of people from the exchanges would result in $2.2 billion in cost savings.

“We’re actually making sure that the people receiving Obamacare subsidies are actually entitled to receive them,” Vance, who leads a government-wide task force to eliminate fraud, said in a public address at the White House, Tuesday. He was flanked by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other administration officials.

The Trump administration also announced a six-month suspension on new brokers who sign up enrollees for healthcare coverage, who officials say commit a disproportionate amount of the fraud they uncovered.

Tuesday’s announcement is the latest in an administration-wide initiative to address fraud around the country, including in federal healthcare programs, which officials say is needed to rein in runaway spending and protect taxpayers.

The announcement comes as inflation and rising healthcare costs pressure the Trump administration to come up with a plan to bring down costs for Americans heading into the midterms.

The price of ACA insurance has skyrocketed for many Americans during Trump’s second term, after Republicans opposed extending COVID-era subsidies that had helped offset the costs of health insurance for most enrollees during Biden’s term.

Premiums doubled or tripled for many enrollees, prompting millions to downgrade their plans or exit the program entirely after the Republican-led Congress allowed the subsidies to expire this year.

Roughly 19.2 million Americans are actively enrolled in ACA marketplace health plans as of early 2026, according to the HHS website.

The White House referred The Associated Press to the Vice President’s team for additional comment on bigger plans to address healthcare affordability.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the news of the Trump administration’s plan to remove ACA enrollees from public exchanges.

Associated Press White House reporter Michelle Price contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Freebie of the week: Check out the Pasadena Chalk Festival

• September 22, 2026

Woo hoo, it’s time for the annual free Pasadena Chalk Festival, where some 500 chalk artists will amaze you with their designs.

This year, it runs two days, Saturday, Sept. 26 and Sunday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with chalk murals, music from DJ Cadillac G, food for sale and more.

Head to Brookside Park, next to Kidspace Museum just south of the Rose Bowl, for the event. Parking is free. Note that Kidspace will host a free chalk art project for kids in front of the museum, where youngsters can make colorful chalk designs of their own on the sidewalk.

There will also be a silent auction of affordable art. Any money raised goes to the Light Bringer Project arts education for underprivileged kids.

Location: Brookside Park, 480 North Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena.

Learn more: pasadenachalkfestival.org.

​ Orange County Register 

Priests, nuns march to Vatican to demand end to ‘genocide’ in Gaza

• September 22, 2026

ROME (AP) — Some 150 Catholic priests and friars, a bishop and nuns from around the world marched to the Vatican and prayed Tuesday in front of St. Peter’s Basilica to call for an end to what they called the “genocide” in Gaza.

The protesters carried a banner down the main boulevard leading to the Vatican bearing the names of 300 children who died during Israel’s war in Gaza and southern Lebanon. The marchers didn’t enter Vatican territory and had an Italian police escort.

The “Priests Against Genocide” network was born in August 2025 and currently includes over 2,500 priests and bishops from five continents, organizers said. Among those marching Tuesday was the bishop of Manfredonia, Italy, Franco Moscone.

After praying near the Vatican, the protesters moved to the Palestinian and Lebanese embassies, and then onto the Rome headquarters of Italian defense manufacturer Leonardo SpA. It was a significantly larger turnout than the march the group held last year.

A number of experts, including those commissioned by a U.N. body, have said Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip amounted to genocide, and Pope Francis once called for an investigation to determine if a genocide had taken place. The accusation has been vehemently denied by Israel, which says it tries to avoid harming civilians and has blamed their deaths on Hamas because they operated in densely populated areas.

Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas attacks that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, on Oct. 7, 2023. Gaza health officials say over 73,000 Palestinians have died. They do not say give a breakdown between civilians and combatants, but say women and children make up nearly half of the dead.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

​ Orange County Register