Multiple people have been shot at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas with the suspected gunman dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, as federal officials reveal ICE agents are facing an unprecedented 830 per cent surge in violent assaults nationwide.
The shooting erupted at the Dallas ICE Field Office on North Stemmons Freeway near Interstate 35E shortly before 7am local time on Wednesday morning, sending dozens of emergency vehicles racing to the scene as officers searched for what they initially believed could be multiple snipers targeting the federal facility.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons confirmed the attack during a live CNN interview, revealing uncertainty about the identities of the three victims. “It could be employees, it could be civilians that were visiting the facility, it could be detainees,” Lyons said whilst the situation was still unfolding. “At this point, we’re still working through that.”
Law enforcement sources later confirmed to multiple outlets that at least two ICE detainees were amongst the wounded, with all three victims transported to hospital in critical condition. The suspected shooter was found dead on the roof of a nearby immigration attorney’s office from what authorities described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Homeland Security Chief Confirms ‘Multiple Injuries and Fatalities’
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took to social media to confirm the devastating attack, stating: “Details are still emerging but we can confirm there were multiple injuries and fatalities.” She added that the shooter had died “by a self-inflicted gun shot wound.”
Noem directly linked the Dallas shooting to a broader pattern of escalating violence against immigration enforcement officers. “While we don’t know motive yet, we know that our ICE law enforcement is facing unprecedented violence against them. It must stop,” she declared, calling for prayers for “the victims and their families.”
The facility at 8101 North Stemmons Freeway, which houses ICE’s Dallas Field Office as well as Enforcement and Removal Operations, remained on lockdown hours after the shooting as investigators swept the building and surrounding area for potential additional threats.
Texas Department of Transportation cameras captured the massive law enforcement response, showing dozens of police units lining the access road alongside Interstate 35E. Parts of the major highway were shut down in both directions as tactical teams secured the scene.
‘Possible Sniper’ Warning as Officers Search for Additional Shooters
Acting Director Lyons revealed that preliminary information suggested “a possible sniper” was involved in the attack, telling CNN: “We have three individuals that are down at this time.” The initial fear of multiple shooters sent the facility into immediate lockdown as officers methodically cleared the building.
Sources told Dallas television station WFAA that the shooter was discovered dead on the roof of an immigration law office adjacent to the ICE facility, though authorities continued searching for potential accomplices throughout the morning. The identity of the gunman has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
FBI Dallas confirmed its agents were responding to assist local police, who had taken the lead in the investigation. “The Dallas Police Department is the lead responding agency,” the FBI stated, as more than 40 police units converged on the Stemmons Corridor location according to police dispatch logs.
The attack marks at least the third instance of an ICE or Customs and Border Protection facility being targeted by gunfire in Texas this year alone, following a July 4th ambush at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado that left an officer shot in the neck.
Violence Against ICE Agents Surges 830 Per Cent
The Dallas shooting comes amid an extraordinary surge in violence against federal immigration officers, with the Department of Homeland Security revealing in July that ICE agents were experiencing an 830 per cent increase in assaults compared to the same period in 2024.
“Brave ICE law enforcement are risking their lives every day to keep our communities safe from the worst of the worst criminals,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated earlier this year, blaming “crazed rhetoric from gutter politicians” for inspiring the massive increase in attacks.
The escalation has been dramatic and sustained. In June, DHS reported a 500 per cent increase in assaults. By early July, that figure had climbed to 700 per cent. The latest statistics showing an 830 per cent surge represent an unprecedented level of violence against federal law enforcement.
Recent attacks have included officers being dragged by vehicles, shot at, pepper-sprayed by mobs, and having their personal information “doxxed” online along with threats against their families. In Portland, anarchist groups posted death threats at ICE facilities with graffiti reading “Kill Your Masters,” whilst officers’ home addresses were published online.
July 4th Ambush Foreshadowed Dallas Attack
The Dallas shooting bears chilling similarities to the Independence Day assault on the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, where eleven attackers dressed in black military-style clothing and body armour orchestrated an ambush designed to lure officers into the open.
During that attack, assailants equipped with AR-style rifles, two-way radios and tactical gear shot fireworks at the facility whilst others spray-painted vehicles to draw officers outside. When an Alvarado police officer responded to what appeared to be a vandalism call, a gunman positioned in nearby woods shot him in the neck whilst another assailant fired 20 to 30 rounds at unarmed correctional officers.
Ten of the eleven suspects in that attack have been arrested and charged with terrorism, aggravated assault on a public servant with a deadly weapon, and other serious offences. The FBI added one suspect, Benjamin Song, to its Most Wanted list before his eventual capture.
Politicians Blamed for ‘Demonising’ Federal Officers
Federal officials have repeatedly blamed inflammatory political rhetoric for the surge in violence, with DHS accusing prominent Democrats of inciting attacks through their characterisation of ICE agents as “Gestapo” and “thugs.”
Representative LaMonica McIver of New Jersey was indicted on federal assault charges after allegedly storming the Delaney Hall detention facility and physically assaulting an ICE officer. Representative Salud Carbajal of California was accused by DHS of showing a violent mob an ICE employee’s business card, leading to the officer being struck by a rock and requiring emergency room treatment with multiple stitches.
“Make no mistake, Democrat politicians like Hakeem Jeffries, Mayor Wu of Boston, Governor Tim Walz, and Mayor Bass of Los Angeles are contributing to the surge in assaults of our ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonisation,” McLaughlin stated in June.
Doxxing Threats Escalate Against Agents’ Families
Beyond physical assaults, ICE agents and their families have increasingly become targets of doxxing campaigns, with personal information including home addresses, photographs, and children’s details posted online by anarchist and antifa-affiliated groups.
In Portland, organisations called “Rose City Counter-Info” and “The Crustian Daily” published names, pictures and addresses of ICE officers on their websites. Criminals posted fliers in officers’ neighbourhoods threatening them with text reading “NO PEACE FOR ICE” alongside profanity-laced Spanish slogans.
One officer had an individual appear at their home to dump rubbish on their lawn, including signs that read “F**k you” with the officer’s name. Family members of agents have also been targeted, prompting Secretary Noem to vow: “We will prosecute those who dox ICE agents to the fullest extent of the law.”
Previous Threats at Dallas Facility
The Dallas ICE facility had been previously targeted with threats. In August, 36-year-old Bratton Dean Wilkinson arrived at the reporting entrance claiming to have a bomb in his backpack, showing security officers what he claimed was a “detonator” on his wrist and forcing a shelter-in-place order.
Wilkinson was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats after bomb squad units responded to the scene. The incident highlighted the ongoing security challenges facing the facility, which processes immigration enforcement operations for North Texas and Oklahoma.
As investigators work to determine the motive behind Wednesday’s shooting, the attack represents another deadly escalation in what federal officials describe as an unprecedented wave of violence against immigration enforcement officers attempting to carry out their duties.
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