Two detainees have died and another is critically injured after a rooftop sniper opened fire at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centre in Dallas, Texas, officials say.
The gunman fired indiscriminately at the ICE facility and at a nearby unmarked van, law enforcement officials say, before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
No law enforcement were injured. FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo on X of unused ammunition recovered from the scene. One casing has the phrase ANTI-ICE on it.
This incident is the latest in a string of attacks on ICE facilities in recent months as the agency ramps up efforts to deliver on US President Donald Trump's pledge for mass deportations.
While the investigation is ongoing, an initial review of the evidence shows an ideological motive behind this attack, Patel wrote on X. These despicable, politically motivated attacks against law enforcement are not a one-off.
FBI special agent Joe Rothrock reported that rounds found near the gunman contained messages that are anti-ICE in nature. He emphasized that this is just the most recent example of targeted violence against immigration enforcement.
The shooter opened fire from an adjacent building, targeting the ICE facility, including a van in the sallyport where the victims were shot, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
A preliminary investigation revealed that the targeted building is an ICE field office used for short-term processing of recently arrested detainees, not a detention facility.
Acting director of the Dallas ICE office, Joshua Johnson, expressed concern over the frequency of similar incidents, stating, The takeaway from all of this is that the rhetoric has to stop. Texas Senator Ted Cruz condemned the violence, urging against the demonization of political opponents, saying, Your political opponents are not Nazis.
Reflecting on the incident, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned that the shooting serves as a wake-up call about the consequences of divisive rhetoric regarding ICE. US Vice-President JD Vance also condemned the attack and called for an end to the obsessive criticism of law enforcement.
In the past summer, the ICE field office in Dallas has faced protests, including an incident involving a man claiming to have a bomb, and several shootings at ICE facilities across Texas, indicating rising tensions related to immigration enforcement.
