Dallas ICE shooting: FBI probes 'targeted' attack after gunman opens fire

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (Getty Images/Alex Brandon)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the Dallas ICE field office shooting was driven by “hatred for ICE,” with Secretary Kristi Noem warning that inflammatory political rhetoric has consequences and calling for an end to the dehumanization of ICE officers.

DHS issued a statement Wednesday, warning that comparisons of ICE to Nazis and secret police are putting agents at risk.

“For months, we’ve been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed,” Noem said. “This shooting must serve as a wake-up call to the far-left that their rhetoric about ICE has consequences. Comparing ICE day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has consequences.”

“The men and women of ICE are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They get up every morning to try and make our communities safer,” she continued. “Like everyone else, we just want to go home to our families at night. The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must stop. We are praying for the victims and their families.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the Dallas ICE field office shooting a deliberate attack on law enforcement, rejecting claims the gunman’s motives were unclear and warning that hostile political rhetoric and false media portrayals are putting ICE officers and their families at greater risk.

Noem argued that violent rhetoric from political leaders fuels these types of attacks, and said the Trump administration remains committed to expanding ICE staffing.

But she also sharply criticized media coverage of these attacks, describing them as false and harmful to agents.

“People don't go around etching things into shell casings and then fire them, firing them into buildings for fun. Nobody does that for fun,” Noem said, adding that people who do that are evil and want to destroy other people’s lives.

“Everybody needs to remember these officers live in these communities, too,” she added. “They live there. Their families are there. They want to make sure that their kids can go to school, and that their families can go grocery shopping and go to their jobs and be safe.”

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The shooting of three ICE agents in Texas on Wednesday marks the latest and most brazen example of a surge in left-wing political violence.

From the dual attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump to the murder of Charlie Kirk, a chilling pattern is unmistakable: the left’s relentless demonization of conservatives is fueling real-world bloodshed.

"This latest shooting against ICE shows what happens after decades of lack of consequences," Lora Ries, director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital.

Ries argued that decades of weak immigration enforcement have emboldened activist groups, who are now lashing out against today’s tougher measures.

Read more about the escalating left-wing terror wave.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias.

Dallas ICE facility (ARIC BECKER / Getty)

Police and FBI agents executed search warrants at two residences linked to the alleged gunman in Wednesday’s Dallas ICE facility shooting, which left one detainee dead and two others injured.

FOX 4 in Dallas reported that one location was in Fairview, Texas, just south of McKinney, while the second was in Durant, Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma property was in a rural area just west of U.S. Highway 75, according to the report.

Authorities arrived in force, with multiple agencies on scene. An armored vehicle equipped with a battering ram was used as law enforcement secured the property.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom was pressed Wednesday on his anti-ICE rhetoric and victory lap over a landmark state law prohibiting law enforcement from concealing their identity during official operations.

Hours before a sniper fired "indiscriminately" at the sally port of a Dallas ICE facility, killing at least two detainees allegedly using ammunition inscribed with anti-ICE messages, Newsom joined CBS’ "Late Show" to lambast President Donald Trump and the way he has conducted his mass deportation operations.

Fox News Digital asked Newsom on Wednesday morning for his response to the shooting and whether his anti-ICE rhetoric has fueled rising threats and attacks on Homeland Security agents.

Newsom spokeswoman Diana Crofts-Pelayo responded that "violence is never the answer, and we expressly condemn what happened in Texas this morning."

Find out what else Newsom had to say about the violence.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz.

Law enforcement personnel respond at the scene of a shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas, Texas on September 24, 2025. (Jeffrey McWhorter/Reuters)

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson urged prayer, patience and calm after the deadly ICE facility shooting Wednesday, asking residents to support victims’ families and allow law enforcement to investigate as unanswered questions remain.

During a news conference on Wednesday, Johnson spoke about his belief in the power of prayer and how prayer changes things.

He then asked the public to join him by praying for the families of the victims in the ICE facility shooting earlier that day, as well as for a speedy recovery for those injured.

"Let's be patient. Let's remain calm, and let's let our law enforcement partners, our police department, do their job,” Johnson said. “This is an active investigation. There's still a lot of unanswered questions. And I want to encourage all of you to exercise a little bit of restraint and allow them to do their job to help make sure this continues to be a safe city and that they can help us figure out what happened here, today.”

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican, left, is running against Democrat Abigail Spanberger, right, in the state's governor's race this year. (Getty Images)

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears shared a clip on Wednesday that showed former Rep. Abigail Spanberger – her 2025 Democratic opponent for governor – offering an adage about "let[ing] your rage fuel you" during a June political event.

Earle-Sears posted the clip hours after a sniper fired "indiscriminately" into the sally port of a Dallas ICE facility using bullets that were reportedly inscribed with anti-ICE slogans, leaving two people dead and others wounded.

"Rage. That’s what Abigail Spanberger is calling for," Earle-Sears wrote on X.

"We’ve seen it with racist signs, cruel jeers, even cheering a father’s assassination for daring to disagree," she added, appearing to refer to Charlie Kirk.

Read more about what Earle-Sears and Spanberger said.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a roundtable led by President Donald Trump. (Pool/Fox News)

Texas Democrats called the Dallas ICE facility shooting “horrifying,” offered prayers for victims and first responders, and urged an end to incendiary rhetoric, accusing the Trump administration and Gov. Greg Abbott of fueling division and exploiting fear for political gain.

“We are horrified at the shooting that has taken place at the ICE processing facility in Dallas and our prayers are with the victims and the first responders,” the Texas Democratic Delegation said in its statement on Wednesday. “We unequivocally condemn all forms of violence and urge everyone to refrain from rhetoric that fans the flames—from all sides.”

“We do not know every fact, but we know that there are two dead victims and one seriously injured. No one — those in uniform, civilians, or immigrants — should be subject to the senseless violence we are seeing across our nation,” the statement continued. “The Trump Administration and the Governor must stop stoking the flames of division, hate, and anger to exploit people's fears for political gain.”

“As more details of the shooting emerge, we urge everyone to meet this moment with empathy and not give into the lies and hateful rhetoric we are already seeing,” the lawmakers added.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said the Dallas field office shooting was a calculated sniper attack aimed at law enforcement, warning the alleged gunman’s anti-ICE motives and escalating rhetoric against the agency pose growing dangers to officers, detainees, and the public.

“It wasn't directed at the detainees, it wasn't directed at civilians on the street. It was a definite attack on law enforcement. He was there to attack that building,” Lyons told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on Wednesday.

He emphasized that the alleged shooter, identified as Joshua Jahn, specifically fired on ICE vehicles and the facility itself.

Lyons noted that Jahn has a criminal history and appeared to harbor anti-ICE sentiments, which was shown on etchings he allegedly made onto his bullets.

Lyons also warned the attack could have endangered not only ICE, but also attorneys, members of the public and commuters on the nearby I-35.

“Where he fired into, it wasn't just detainees or law enforcement officers. That was a waiting area where attorneys are, that are there to see their clients, the public that they're visiting,” Lyons said. “I-35 is a major highway right there, and you saw those bullets penetrated through the lobby into the wall, into the flag. People going to work, going to school could have been killed on I-35.”

The acting ICE director tied the attack to increasingly hostile rhetoric toward ICE from politicians, calling comments like California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “completely ridiculous,” and blaming them for fueling threats against ICE agents and their families.

“There are so many people that want to come out and join ICE, not just for, you know, be part of this deportation mission or the secret police,” Lyons added. “There are men and women that want a noble law enforcement profession, and that's what we offer. And that's what really, really disgusts me, is the fact that what the men and women of ICE are doing is a noble enforcement profession. They're doing their sworn duty, they're following the laws that Congress has written.”

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as leaves the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

President Donald Trump denounced the Dallas ICE field office shooting in a Truth Social post Wednesday, blaming “Radical Left Democrats” for fueling anti-law enforcement violence and pledging to sign an executive order against what he called left-wing domestic terrorism networks.

“I have been briefed on the deadly shooting at the ICE Field Office in Dallas, Texas. It has now been revealed the deranged shooter wrote ‘Anti-ICE’ on his shell casings,” Trump wrote. “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.”

“This violence is the result of the Radical Left Democrats constantly demonizing Law Enforcement, calling for ICE to be demolished, and comparing ICE Officers to ‘Nazis',” Trump continued. “The continuing violence from Radical Left Terrorists, in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, must be stopped. ICE Officers, and other Brave Members of Law Enforcement, are under grave threat.”

Trump noted that his administration has already declared ANTIFA a terrorist organization, adding that he plans to sign another Executive Order this week to dismantle domestic terrorism networks.

“I AM CALLING ON ALL DEMOCRATS TO STOP THIS RHETORIC AGAINST ICE AND AMERICA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT NOW!” the president said. “The Trump Administration is fully committed to backing Law Enforcement, Strong Borders, securing our Homeland, deporting Violent Illegal Criminals, and fully rooting out the Left Wing Domestic Terrorism that is terrorizing our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, left; California Gov. Gavin Newsom, right. (Scott Olson/Getty Images; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Democrats’ fiercest rhetoric against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security resurfaced Wednesday after the fatal sniper attack on a Dallas federal immigration facility.

A suspect fired several shots, reportedly "indiscriminately," at the Sally Port of an ICE facility just off Interstate 35E near Dallas-Love Field that killed at least one detainee and injured others.

Hours prior, California Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared on CBS’ "Late Show" where he raged against federal agents who have masked-up to avoid being doxxed by activists in the Golden State.

Newsom recounted the detention of a teenager outside a school, describing it as "men jumping out of unmarked cars. People disappearing. No due process. No oversight. Zero accountability: Happening in the United States of America today."

"People ask: ‘Well, is authoritarianism you being hyperbolic?’ Bulls--- we’re being hyperbolic… These are not just authoritarian tendencies, these are authoritarian actions by an authoritarian government," Newsom told host Stephen Colbert.

Find out what else Newsom said while talking to Colbert.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas (Reuters)

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, condemned the Dallas ICE field office shooting Wednesday, linking it to what he described as “radical left” rhetoric from Democratic leaders and warning that such attacks on law enforcement reflect a disturbing rise in politically motivated violence.

“Today’s shooting at Dallas ICE Field Office is one in a series of attacks at @ICEgov and Border Patrol facilities in Texas,” Cronyn said. “There should be no doubt that recent anti-law enforcement rhetoric from the radical left has contributed to this uptick in violence.”

“Whether it’s @GavinNewsom’s anti-ICE policies, @GovTimWalz comparing ICE to the Gestapo, or @RepJeffriescalling for people to fight @POTUS’ agenda in the streets, the rhetoric must end,” he continued.

“Texans back our men and women in blue. ANY attack on an officer WILL BE investigated & prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he added. “We must stop this dangerous rhetoric & break this disturbing trend of political violence.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar condemned the Dallas ICE facility shooting as “horrifying,” offered condolences to victims’ families, praised first responders, and urged unity in the face of what they called escalating politically motivated violence in America.

“Our prayers and deepest condolences are with the families of those killed,” they said in a joint statement. “We thank the brave first responders for their quick action to locate the shooter and prevent any further carnage."

“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 continued. “The political and ideologically-motivated violence in America has reached a breaking point this year."

“We need leaders who bring the country together in moments of crisis – and that is what is required right now,” the Democratic leaders added.

Vice President JD Vance (Getty Images)

Vice President JD Vance, speaking in Concord, North Carolina, condemned the Dallas ICE facility shooting as politically motivated violence by a “left-wing extremist,” blamed Democratic rhetoric and media coverage for fueling attacks on law enforcement, and offered prayers for agents and detainees injured in the attack.

Vance argued that the rhetoric from Democratic leaders like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and that which is covered by the “left-wing media,” are contributing to an environment that encourages violence against law enforcement.

“If your political rhetoric encourages violence against our law enforcement, you can go straight to hell,” he said.

“What we know is that in Dallas, Texas, an ICE facility, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, was opened fire upon by a violent left-wing extremist, a person who wrote anti-ICE messaging on their bullets,” Vance continued. “Just because we don't support illegal aliens, we don't want them to be executed by violent assassins engaged in political violence.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed continued support for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a gunman opened fire on the agency’s Dallas field office Wednesday, calling the attack an “assassination” attempt and pledging state resources to assist the investigation and operations.

“Texas fully supports ICE,” Abbott wrote on X. “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,” he continued. “We will work with ICE & the Dallas Police Dept. to get to the bottom of the assassin’s motive. We will offer ICE additional support to assist their operations.”

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A gunman opened fire Wednesday on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas, Texas, which oversees operations in north Texas and Oklahoma.

According to the BBC, the site is a temporary holding facility — not a detention center — where detainees are kept before transfer to larger facilities.

An ICE detention standards manual states, “No detainee shall be confined in a hold room for more than 12 hours” at this facility.

In August, ICE released a report stating that the Dallas field office also houses Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), which handles the arrest and deportation of foreign nationals.

The BBC also reported that in August, a 36-year-old man was arrested outside the facility after claiming he had a bomb in his backpack and displaying what appeared to be a detonator on his arm.

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Sources familiar with the investigation into the Dallas immigration facility shooting identified Wednesday's alleged attacker as Joshua Jahn, 29.

The gunman shot three detainees and killed one detainee another after opening fire on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility from a nearby building before taking his own life, police say. The detainee who survived was hospitalized in critical condition.

Jahn fired "indiscriminately" at the ICE building, as well as at a van in the sally port where the victims were shot, the Department of Homeland Security said. The three detainees were in an unmarked transport van when they were shot, before Jahn took his own life around 7 a.m., according to the sources. He was found dead with a rifle on a nearby rooftop, authorities said.

Read more about Joshua Jahn.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano.

Law enforcement agents look around the roof of an apartment building near the scene of a shooting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP/Julio Cortez)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Wednesday that the “deranged gunman” who opened fire at an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas, Texas, had fired “from a nearby rooftop.”

”The shooter fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, as well as at a van in the sallyport where the victims were shot,” DHS said in a statement. “Three detainees were shot. Two are deceased, and the other is in critical condition. The gunman was found with a self-inflicted gun wound.”

DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin has since told Fox News that DHS and ICE made a mistake, noting that three detainees were shot and 1 detainee was killed.

Sources familiar with the investigation identified the gunman to Fox News as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn.

 “We can confirm, the shell casings were found with anti-ICE messages on them,” DHS said. “This was an attack on ICE law enforcement.” 

"DHS is working with partner agencies on the ground. Please join us in praying for the victims and their families,” it added. 

Vice President JD Vance called liberal podcaster Jon Favreau a “dips---” on Wednesday after the Obama alumnus criticized a post the vice president made about the deadly shooting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas, Texas.

The exchange on X unfolded after Vance wrote: “The obsessive attack on law enforcement, particularly ICE, must stop. I'm praying for everyone hurt in this attack and for their families.” 

Favreau, one of the hosts of "Pod Save America,” then reposted Vance’s message and said, “The Vice President is not a reliable source of information,” and claimed, “This is now the fifth or sixth time he’s posted a political take contradicted by facts from his own law enforcement agencies.” 

“The gunman had anti-ICE messaging carved on the bullets he used,” Vance responded. “What, precisely, did I get wrong, dips---?”  

Law enforcement personnel respond at the scene of a shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 24, 2025. (Reuters/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Sources familiar with the investigation into the deadly shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas, identified the gunman as Joshua Jahn.

Jahn, 29, allegedly killed one detainee at the facility before turning the gun on himself.

Fox News Digital's Preston Mizell contributed to this report.

Trump border czar Tom Homan. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, revealed Wednesday on "The Charlie Kirk Show" that he has a 24/7 security detail and does not live with family out of concern for their safety.

“I have a 24/7 security detail because of threats against me. I don't live with my family because I don't want them around danger as much as I can,” Homan said. “So it's tough, but I'm not going away. I'm not shutting up. I'm going to continue fighting to make this country great again,” Homan added.

“President Trump made a promise to the American people, he brought me to help him with that promise to make America safe again. And we're going to continue working to remove the worst, the worst illegal aliens in this country to make our communities safer. Hard stop." 

Police block off the street close to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office after a reported shooting, in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP/Julio Cortez)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that Democrats must stop “demonizing” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following a deadly shooting at the agency’s Dallas, Texas, field office. 

“Democrats must stop demonizing the heroic men and women of ICE who are just doing their jobs to keep Americans safe,” Leavitt wrote on X, sharing a photo with the message, “I Stand With ICE.” 

FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph Rothrock told reporters earlier that the FBI is "investigating this incident as an act of targeted violence." 

"What I can also share with you is that early evidence that we have seen from the rounds that were found near the suspected shooter contain messages that are anti-ICE in nature. Again, this is just the most recent example of this type of attack," he added. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas talks about the shooting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas during a news conference on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP/Julio Cortez)

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said “violence is wrong” and “politically motivated violence is wrong” following Wednesday’s shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas.

“It was two weeks ago today that we saw a political assassination in Utah that tore the heart out of much of this country,” Cruz said, referencing the Sept. 10 assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.

“This is the third shooting in Texas directed at ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement ) or CBP (Customs and Border Protection). This must stop. To every politician who is using rhetoric, demonizing ICE and demonizing CBP – stop. To every politician demanding that ICE agents be doxed and calling for people to go after their families – stop,” Cruz said.

“This has very real consequences. Look, in America, we disagree. That's fine. That's the democratic process. But your political opponents are not Nazis. We need to learn to work together without demonizing each other, without attacking each other. And I want to say thank you. I want to say thank you to the brave men and women of law enforcement. I want to say thank you to the brave men and women of ICE and CBP, and everyone who puts their lives on the line to keep us safe. The divisive rhetoric, tragically, has real consequences,” Cruz added. 

The FBI released an image showing a magazine of rounds that features anti-ICE messaging following a shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025.

At least three people were shot, one of whom was killed, in a shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas on Wednesday, Fox News confirmed.

The FBI says it is investigating the incident as a "targeted attack" against ICE. Representatives for the FBI at a Wednesday morning press conference in Dallas said that preliminary investigations uncovered anti-ICE messaging on bullet rounds found near the shooter.

The shooting reportedly occurred as ICE officers were transferring detainees into the facility. The shooter died due to a self-inflicted wound, authorities say. The three individuals who were shot were all detainees, and one of them has died.

The three detainees were shot while inside a law enforcement van, ICE sources told Fox News' Brooke Taylor.

"These despicable, politically motivated attacks against law enforcement are not a one-off. We are only miles from Prarieland Texas where just two months ago an individual ambushed a separate ICE facility targeting their officers. It has to end and the FBI and our partners will lead the these investigative efforts to see to it that those who target our law enforcement are pursued and brought to the fullest extent of justice," FBI director Kash Patel wrote on X.