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U.S. Federal authorities are treating Wednesday's deadly shooting at a Dallas immigration detention facility as an act of targeted violence, with investigators finding anti-ICE messages linked to the suspected gunman.
The attack at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility near Interstate 35E left four people shot, including two fatalities, Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said. The shooter died by suicide, according to US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
"FBI is investigating this incident as an act of targeted violence," FBI Special Agent Joseph Rothrock, head of the Dallas Field Office, told reporters. He said early evidence from bullets found near the suspected gunman contained anti-ICE messages.
Police responded to the detention facility at approximately 6:40 a.m. local time. According to preliminary investigations, the suspect opened fire from an adjacent building before taking his own life.
"The DPD (Dallas Police Department) quickly was able to locate the shooter, who was deceased," Comeaux said.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin confirmed three total fatalities, telling Fox News the victims are believed to be detainees rather than law enforcement officers. Some of the injured remain in critical condition.
"No members of law enforcement were hurt during this attack," Rothrock confirmed.
The shooting occurs during a period of dramatically expanded immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration. Since Trump's inauguration in January, the Homeland Security Department reported Tuesday that over 2 million undocumented immigrants have left the United States, including approximately 1.6 million voluntary departures and more than 400,000 formal deportations.
Current ICE operations target both undocumented immigrants and individuals with criminal records as part of the administration's broadened enforcement strategy.
Immigration advocates have criticized the expanded operations, arguing that while Trump pledged to prioritize criminals, gang members, and terrorists, the enforcement has increasingly affected longtime residents without criminal records who have established families and employment in the United States. Advocates have also raised concerns about ICE agents conducting operations while wearing masks and refusing to provide proper identification.
"This is an active investigation. There's still a lot of unanswered questions," Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said.
The FBI continues to investigate the motive behind the attack and the full extent of the anti-ICE messaging found at the scene.
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