Inside the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Field Office, the scars of a harrowing attack remain visible nearly a week later. Blood-stained floors, scattered first-aid kits, and bullet holes in the walls testify to the chaos that unfolded on September 24, 2025, when a sniper unleashed more than 25 rounds into the facility from a nearby rooftop. The attack, which federal investigators say was meticulously planned and motivated by anti-ICE sentiment, left two detainees dead and a third wounded—yet, remarkably, no ICE agents were physically harmed.
According to Fox News, the aftermath is impossible to ignore. Acting Field Office Director Joshua Johnson led reporters through the battered building, pointing out the chilling evidence of violence. “This is where another gentleman over here was receiving first aid,” Johnson said, recalling how agents braved gunfire to pull detainees from a van and perform CPR. “They had to go under fire to get him off the van so that they can provide CPR.”
The sniper’s bullets tore through at least nine office windows, walls, and even a cubicle where, as Johnson noted, “an agent could have easily been working.” The attack struck early in the morning, and with many of the more than 100 employees not yet at their desks, a greater tragedy was narrowly avoided. “Thankfully, this area did not have any employees at the time because it could have been a lot worse,” Johnson remarked. The FBI later confirmed that the shooter used high-powered armor-piercing rounds, capable of penetrating agents’ protective vests.
Investigators quickly uncovered the shooter’s motives. The FBI released a photo of ammunition labeled “anti-ICE” and discovered phone records and writings expressing deep-seated hatred for the agency. According to officials, the attacker had been planning the assault for months, even using a mobile app to track ICE agents’ movements. The chilling level of preparation cast a pall over the agency’s already tense environment.
Though ICE agents escaped injury, the detainees in their custody were not so fortunate. A transportation bus loaded with 50 detainees was riddled with bullets, but miraculously none were hurt. A smaller van, however, was not spared. Three detainees inside were struck—one died on the scene, another succumbed to his injuries days later, and the third remains in medical care. As Johnson recounted, “You can see one of the bullet rounds that went in. There is a seat right next to it where an officer sits.”
The victims have since been identified. Norlan Guzman-Fuentes, 37, an undocumented migrant from El Salvador, died in the attack. ICE records, as cited by Fox News, do not indicate when or where he entered the United States, but his criminal history stretched across Florida and Texas. He was first arrested in 2012 in Palm Beach County, Florida, on charges of battery, improper exhibition of a firearm or dangerous weapon, and criminal mischief—though only the criminal mischief charge resulted in a conviction. In 2020, he faced DWI charges in Arlington, Texas, but posted bond before ICE could issue a detainer. Most recently, Dallas police arrested him on August 25 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a DWI warrant. The assault charge was later dismissed, but ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations apprehended him on September 24 under a detainer.
The second fatality, Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez, 31, was an undocumented migrant from Mexico. Like Guzman-Fuentes, ICE records do not show when or where he entered the U.S. Garcia-Hernandez was arrested on August 8, 2025, in Arlington, Texas, on charges of DUI, evading arrest with a vehicle, and fleeing police. ICE lodged a detainer the same day and took him into custody on September 24. His prior record included arrests in 2011 for failure to identify and evading arrest, and in 2017 for failure to identify—both resulting in convictions. In 2017, an immigration detainer was filed, but he was released before ICE could act. He died in the hospital days after the shooting.
The third detainee, Jose Andres Bordones-Molina, 33, from Venezuela, survived his wounds and has since been moved to another holding facility. ICE records show he entered the U.S. through Nogales, Arizona, on August 12, 2024, and was released. He was later arrested on January 16, 2025, in Arlington, Texas, for property theft, and again on September 16 in Euless, Texas, for a traffic offense. ICE Dallas lodged an immigration detainer after the September arrest.
In a statement, ICE expressed condolences and concern for the families affected, emphasizing the broader implications of the attack. “Our thoughts are with his family, and this tragedy underscores the terrible cost of dangerous rhetoric and violence against the men and women of ICE who are simply carrying out their sworn law enforcement mission,” the agency said, as reported by Fox News.
For agents and staff, the trauma lingers. “Our agents are resilient, but I’ll say this, this is just unprecedented, this type of violence that has been directed at ICE agents. It’s just all driven by the rhetoric coming out online and by some of our elected leaders,” Johnson reflected. “This is not something you sign up for, to come to work and do your job, then you have people taking up sniping positions and shooting in your workplace. I don’t think any of us were expecting anything like this.”
Despite the tragedy, ICE’s core mission continues. According to a press release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arrests of criminal undocumented immigrants have not ceased in the wake of the attack. The Dallas Field Office, after closing for several days, reopened on September 30, 2025, with enhanced security measures in place. The agency has taken steps to reinforce physical security, review emergency protocols, and provide support for staff coping with the psychological aftermath.
The attack has reignited debate over immigration enforcement and the risks faced by federal law enforcement officers. Some officials and commentators have pointed to a rise in hostile rhetoric online and in political discourse, warning that such language can have real-world, sometimes deadly, consequences. Others have called for a renewed focus on the safety and rights of detainees within the system, especially amid heightened tensions and violence.
In the broader context, the Dallas sniper attack stands as a grim reminder of the volatility surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States. With more than 100 employees at the Dallas ICE Field Office and a steady flow of detainees—many with complex legal and personal histories—the stakes are high and the risks, as this incident shows, can be all too real. As the agency works to recover and adapt, the memory of September 24, 2025, will undoubtedly linger, shaping policy, security, and the lives of those who lived through that harrowing morning.
For now, the Dallas ICE Field Office resumes its operations, scarred but unbowed, its staff determined to carry on their duties amid a climate of heightened vigilance and reflection.
