DHS Condemns “Vile” Anti-ICE Attack, Calls for an End to Violence
Dallas, TX — A sniper opens fire from a rooftop onto a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Dallas field office early Wednesday morning, killing one detainee and critically injuring two others. The shooter, identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, later dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities treat the incident as a targeted act of political violence. (AP News)
ICE confirms in a tweet: “ICE and Dallas police have secured the scene at our Dallas field office, where a shooter opened fire on the facility this morning, firing indiscriminately at the building, including at a transport van in the sallyport. We can confirm that three detainees were shot while inside the van. Of the three, one has been confirmed deceased and two are in critical condition. The shooter is also deceased by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No ICE officers were physically injured, and we are working alongside the FBI and local law enforcement on this ongoing investigation. This violence must stop.” (ICEgov Twitter)
The attack occurred around 6:40 a.m. at the ICE field office on North Stemmons Freeway. The victims were inside a van outside the facility when the shooter fired from a nearby building. The FBI recovered shell casings marked with “ANTI-ICE,” signaling a politically motivated assault. (Reuters)
DHS Secretary Noem issues a statement condemning the attack: “Our prayers are with the families of those killed and our ICE law enforcement. This vile attack is 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 is killed. This shooting must serve as a wake-up call to the far-left that their rhetoric about ICE 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. 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.” (DHS)
Jahn, a former resident of Allen, Texas, was found dead at the scene. Authorities link him to addresses in Fairview, Texas, and Durant, Oklahoma. His brother says Jahn is not politically active and does not express strong opinions about ICE, though the “ANTI-ICE” markings on the ammunition suggest an ideological motive. (New York Post)
The Dallas ICE office has experienced threats before. Last month, an unknown man, later identified as Bratton Dean Wilkinson, claims to have a bomb in his backpack at the facility’s reporting entrance. Law enforcement detains him after a shelter-in-place and charges him with making terroristic threats.
The FBI continues to investigate the shooting and works with local law enforcement to review security protocols at ICE facilities nationwide. Meanwhile, political leaders across the country respond to the attack. President Donald Trump condemns the shooting, attributing it to “radical left” rhetoric and calling for an end to anti-ICE sentiment, while Democrats emphasize gun control and the need to prevent political violence. (The Guardian)
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