One immigrant killed, two wounded in shooting at ICE office in Dallas

At least one immigrant died Wednesday in a shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Dallas, Texas, the Department of Homeland Security has confirmed. The deceased was inside the immigration agency’s facility when a sniper opened fire on the site. Two other detained immigrants were wounded and are in critical condition. The alleged shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Dallas Police Department. No federal agents were shot.

So far, the identity of the victim and the persons wounded have not been confirmed. No details about the shooter have been released. Authorities and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have said the motive for the shooting is under investigation, but the official said the incident comes amid an increase in attacks on ICE agents, who are carrying out Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

During a press conference a few hours after the incident, local authorities confirmed that no law enforcement officers were injured during the shooting. The special agent in charge of the FBI in Dallas, Joe Rothrock, explained that they have begun an “ongoing investigation” involving “several federal and local partners to ensure that anyone responsible is held accountable.” He added that the FBI is investigating the incident as an “act of targeted violence” and that “the bullets found near the alleged shooter contain messages of an anti-ICE nature.” The city’s mayor, Eric Johnson, called for “calm” and “patience” from the public while the investigation yields results.

The facility is not a detention center, but it is often used to process detainees after their arrest and before their transfer to a migrant prison. Immigrants who pass through this building are usually there for about 24 hours. The shooting occurred around 7 a.m. Central Time and prompted a large police presence in the area. According to the Dallas Police Department, the attacker opened fire from a nearby building. The acting director of ICE, Todd Lyons, said “the victims were in the sally port area,” where detained immigrants are held.

Trump has not commented on the incident. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance wrote on X: “The obsessive attack on law enforcement, particularly ICE, must stop. I’m praying for everyone hurt in this attack and for their families.” For his part, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican and ally of the president, posted on the same social network: “Texas fully supports ICE. Both the Texas Dept. of Public Safety & Texas National Guard work closely with ICE. This assassination will NOT slow our arrest, detention, & deportation of illegal immigrants.”

So far this year, ICE or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities in the state of Texas have been shot at on at least three occasions. On July 4, Independence Day, several gunmen opened fire on an immigration detention center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas. A police officer was wounded by a shot to the neck. Three days later, a man armed with an assault rifle fired dozens of rounds at federal agents leaving a Border Patrol facility in McAllen. The man wounded a police officer who responded to the scene before authorities shot and killed him.

And on August 25, authorities arrested a 36-year-old American man who threatened to plant a bomb at the ICE facility in Dallas. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the man went to the office and claimed to have an explosive device in his backpack. He also showed an agent what he said was a “detonator” on his wrist. The man was arrested and charged with terrorist threats.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition