Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat from Texas, tried different tactics to get journalist Matt Taibbi, right, to reveal his “Twitter files” source. (House Judiciary GOP / YouTube)

Long have Democrats and other leftists said that guns are the problem in shooting deaths. We must eliminate the guns! Is their battle cry.

But the argument ignores the fact that, with only a few exceptions for accidental discharges, each time a gun is fired at an individual, there are hands holding the gun and a finger pulling the trigger, meaning it’s the person doing the violence, not the tool.

Now one member of Congress has taken the leftist ideology even further: If a car is attacking Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, they should “shoot the tires.”

Not the driver.

The comments are from Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas.

Talking about the recent shooting by an officer of an Mexican national during a confrontation, she said.

“If they really think that a car is going to hurt somebody, you shoot the tires. You don’t shoot the driver.”

Democrat Rep. Sylvia Garcia on ICE shooting an illegal alien who tried to plow federal agents with his car: “If they really think that a car is going to hurt somebody, you shoot the tires. You don’t shoot the driver.” pic.twitter.com/P4KdTAfkke

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) July 10, 2026

There was instant mockery online:

“This is the same kind of person that says police should shoot a criminal in the leg.”

“Well, we can’t help that she is full retard and that she’s probably never tried to shoot a tire out.”

“Let’s put her in front of a car and try it out.”

“Democrats like illegal aliens more than their constituents.”

“You can tell these people are imbeciles by their ideas regarding use of arms. They are so ignorant of gun safety. Because they just want to make it impossible for citizens to get them. But we that have them actually educate ourselves on every aspect of ownership. Idiots.”

“If someone points a gun at you, shoot the gun, not the criminal.”

“Wrong! Shoot the driver. The tires aren’t trying to kill someone.”

KHOU in Houston delivered an update on the case that involved the shooting death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national living in the U.S.

Three passengers in the vehicle were detained by authorities.

The Houston Chronicle said the shooting happened in East Houston, and Garcia said it was someone else, Araujo’s brother, who apparently was being sought by ICE.

The victim was shot earlier in the week when ICE agents attempted to pull over the van he was driving with three other passengers, including his brother, as the work crew was on their way to a construction site, the report said.

Federal officials said he refused to obey commands to pull over and that he had “weaponized” his vehicle, a white van, causing an immigration agent to fire his weapon in self-defense.

Authorities said the suspect rammed an ICE vehicle and an officer opened fire in self-defense.