Dallas, Sept 25 (HS): A sniper attack on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas left two detainees dead and another critically injured on Wednesday, before the gunman took his own life, officials confirmed.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the shooter opened fire “indiscriminately” from the roof of a nearby building, targeting the ICE field office and a detainee transport van parked in the sallyport. FBI investigators later revealed early evidence suggesting the attacker’s motive was politically driven, with unspent bullets recovered at the scene bearing the words “ANTI-ICE.”
“This was a despicable, politically motivated assault on law enforcement,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on X, posting photos of the marked ammunition as evidence.DHS confirmed that two detainees were fatally struck while a third remained in critical condition.
The facility, which handles detainee intake before transfers to long-term detention centers, was placed under lockdown as investigators scoured the site.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Vice President JD Vance condemned the shooting, linking it to escalating anti-ICE rhetoric.
“For months, we’ve been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE before someone was killed,” Noem said in a social media post, calling the tragedy a “wake-up call.”
Vance echoed her comments, insisting that “the obsessive attack on law enforcement, particularly ICE, must stop.”ICE has long been at the center of controversy over its role in carrying out President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, which have included mass deportation drives and heavily armed raids.
The agency has faced protests and violent attacks in recent years, including incidents in Texas earlier this summer.In July, an ICE facility in Alvarado was stormed by suspects dressed in black tactical clothing, who hurled fireworks, spray-painted anti-ICE slogans, and injured a police officer.
Days later, a gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a U.S. Border Patrol annex in McAllen, leaving multiple officers injured before being killed.
Wednesday’s sniper attack adds to the series of violent assaults against immigration enforcement facilities, deepening security concerns as political clashes over Trump’s hardline immigration agenda intensify.
The FBI has assumed control of the investigation, while DHS urged the public not to “normalize or excuse” violence directed at federal agencies.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
