On the morning of September 24, 2025, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas, Texas became the scene of a deadly and politically charged attack. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a sniper opened fire from a nearby rooftop, killing one detainee and critically injuring two others. The shooter, later identified by law enforcement as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before police could apprehend him.
The attack unfolded swiftly and with chilling precision. DHS officials stated that Jahn fired indiscriminately at the ICE building and at a van in the sallyport, where the victims—detainees being transported or processed—were struck. No ICE officers or law enforcement personnel were injured in the incident, but the trauma reverberated through the facility and the broader community. One of the wounded, as confirmed by Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a Mexican national.
Mayra, a migrant from Nicaragua, recounted her harrowing experience to ABC News. She had been inside the facility with her husband for an immigration status check-in when the gunfire erupted. "Security officers screamed at us to get down, and the building immediately went on lockdown," she recalled. Her daughter, waiting outside in case Mayra was detained, fled for cover as the shots rang out. Despite the ordeal, Mayra said she planned to return to the facility the next day to complete her appointment—an act of resilience in the face of fear.
Law enforcement agencies quickly converged on the scene, responding to emergency calls around 6:40 a.m. local time. Dallas Police confirmed that two individuals were transported to the hospital with gunshot wounds, while one victim died at the scene. The shooter, according to a statement from Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin to Fox News, was targeting both law enforcement and detainees from an apartment building adjacent to the ICE office.
The FBI and DHS are treating the attack as an act of targeted violence with ideological motivations. FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo of recovered ammunition, one casing bearing the phrase "ANTI-ICE" engraved along its side. Special Agent Joe Rothrock elaborated at a press conference, stating, "Early evidence that we’ve seen from rounds that were found near the suspected shooter contains messages that are anti-ICE in nature." Patel added, "While the investigation is ongoing, an initial review of the evidence shows an ideological motive behind this attack." The shooter’s voter records showed he was registered as an independent, with prior cannabis-related charges dating back to 2016, according to the BBC.
Vice President JD Vance, speaking in North Carolina, described the shooter as a "left-wing extremist" who was "politically motivated to go after people who are enforcing our border." He added, "We're praying both for our ICE agents, but also for everybody who's affected by this terrible attack." The FBI has not released evidence linking the shooter to any specific group, but the presence of anti-ICE messages and the timing—amid heightened political rhetoric—has fueled debate over the roots and implications of the violence.
The attack comes at a time when ICE has been ramping up deportation efforts nationwide, a key component of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy. According to DHS, there has been a more than 1,000% increase in assaults against ICE officers in recent months. In July 2025, two other Texas ICE-related facilities were targeted in separate shootings, including an incident in Alvarado where a police officer was shot and another in McAllen involving gunfire at a Border Patrol annex.
Federal officials, including Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, have responded by placing all ICE facilities on heightened alert. Lyons told CBS News that the shooter used a high-powered rifle and, given the time and location, "could have, in his indiscriminate fire, hit people traveling to work, civilians on the ground." He emphasized that the violence could have resulted in even greater loss of life.
The political fallout has been swift and pronounced. President Trump condemned the attack in a social media post, writing, "This is despicable! The Brave Men and Women of ICE are just trying to do their jobs, and remove the 'WORST of the WORST' Criminals out of our Country, but they are facing an unprecedented increase in threats, violence, and attacks by Deranged Radical Leftists." He called for an end to the violence and pointed to what he described as dangerous rhetoric from political opponents.
Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, echoed those sentiments at a news conference, stating, "Violence is wrong, politically motivated violence is wrong." He urged Americans not to demonize their political adversaries, warning, "The divisive rhetoric, tragically, has real consequences." Texas Governor Greg Abbott took to social media to declare that the shooting would "NOT slow our arrest, detention, & deportation of illegal immigrants."
Democratic leaders also condemned the violence. In a joint statement, House Democratic leadership thanked first responders and expressed condolences to the victims’ families. "No one in America should be violently targeted, including our men and women in law enforcement who protect and serve our neighborhoods, and the immigrants who are too often the victims of dehumanizing rhetoric," the statement read. Senator Cory Booker called the shooting "an unacceptable act of violence" and added, "The vilification of any group of people endangers them. It makes them targets. And it must stop." The message from across the aisle was clear: political and ideologically-motivated violence has reached a breaking point, and leaders must work to bring the country together.
The Dallas ICE field office, the site of the attack, had been the focus of protests throughout the summer. In August, a man was arrested after entering the facility with what he claimed was a bomb, and in July, shots were fired at ICE offices in San Antonio. These incidents, according to ICE, have been fueled by "political rhetoric" and escalating tensions over immigration policy.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was blunt in her assessment: "This vile attack was motivated by hatred for ICE. 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." Acting director of the Dallas ICE office, Joshua Johnson, added, "The takeaway from all of this is that the rhetoric has to stop."
For the families of those killed and wounded, and for the broader immigrant and law enforcement communities, the trauma of the Dallas shooting will not soon fade. As investigations continue and security is tightened, the attack stands as a stark reminder of the real-world consequences of polarization and the urgent need for leadership that bridges divides, not deepens them.
