Two detainees were killed and another critically wounded Wednesday morning when a gunman opened fire on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas, in what federal officials are calling a targeted attack on law enforcement. The shooter, identified by sources as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on a rooftop near the facility.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Jahn "fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, including at a van in the sallyport where the victims were shot." All three victims were in an unmarked transport van when they were hit. Authorities recovered rifle-caliber rounds engraved with the phrase "ANTI-ICE," FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed, sharing images of the ammunition online.
Federal officials said the attack is being investigated as an act of "targeted violence." DHS Secretary Kristi Noem warned that the shooting "must serve as a wake-up call," adding, "For months, we've been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed. This shooting must serve as a wake-up call."
The attack temporarily locked down the facility as emergency responders rushed to treat the wounded detainee, who remains in critical condition. Photos released by DHS showed a bullet hole in an American flag display inside the building, underscoring the shooter's focus on the federal agency.
The Dallas assault is the latest in a string of violent incidents targeting federal immigration enforcement. In July, an officer was shot at an ICE detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, and a separate gunman opened fire at the entrance of a Border Patrol annex in McAllen. DHS says ICE officers have faced a more than 1,000% increase in assaults this year.
Texas officials quickly condemned the shooting. Gov. Greg Abbott said, "The shooter's actions will NOT slow our arrest, detention, & deportation of illegal immigrants. We will work with ICE & the Dallas Police Department to get to the bottom of the assassin's motive." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called it "another despicable assault on law and order."
Dallas ICE field office official Joshua Johnson urged an end to violent attacks. "This is the second time I've had to stand in front of you and talk about a shooter at one of my facilities. And I think that the takeaway from all of this is that the rhetoric has to stop," he said.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons announced that all ICE facilities nationwide have been placed on higher security alert following the Dallas attack. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, echoed calls for calm, stating, "Violence is wrong, politically motivated violence is wrong."
