Updated September 24, 2025 at 1:46 PM MST
DALLAS — Federal authorities say a shooting Wednesday morning at an ICE immigration detention facility was an "act of targeted violence" and "an attack" against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security said a gunman fired at the ICE building "indiscriminately" and at a "van in the sallyport where the victims" were hit. One detainee was killed and two others were wounded. One of those hospitalized was a Mexican national, according to Mexico's foreign ministry. Authorities say the suspect died of "a self-inflicted gun shot wound."
DHS lowered the death toll in an updated statement late Wednesday. Earlier, the agency said two detainees died in the shooting.
The agency released a pair of images showing a bullet hole in an exterior window of the Dallas facility and another in an interior display housing the American flag. DHS described the shooting as "an attack on ICE law enforcement."
Speaking during a news conference with politicians and authorities, Joe Rothrock, the FBI special agent in Dallas, said "early evidence" suggests the suspected shooter was "anti-ICE in nature," due to writings found on bullet casings near the gunman.
On X, FBI Director Kash Patel posted a picture of five unspent bullet casings with one engraved with the words, "ANTI ICE." Patel's post said, "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."
President Trump described the deadly shooting as part of a continuum of threats and attacks on ICE, blaming "Deranged Radical Leftists" for the violence. "It has now been revealed the deranged shooter wrote "Anti-ICE" on his shell casings," Trump said in a lengthy post on social media.
Trump said threats and violence against ICE "is the result of the Radical Left Democrats constantly demonizing Law Enforcement, calling for ICE to be demolished, and comparing ICE Officers to 'Nazis'" and he urged an end to the rhetoric.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the attack would not change his state's strict immigration crackdown. "We will not let this cowardly attack impede our efforts to secure the border, enforce immigration law, and ensure law and order," Abbott said in a statement.
Rothrock said no members of law enforcement were hurt during this attack. During the news conference, officials provided few details into the circumstances into the shooting. In an earlier statement, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, "ICE law enforcement is facing unprecedented violence against them. It must stop."
Mayra, a migrant from Nicaragua who has been living in the U.S. for four years, was inside the ICE facility on Wednesday for her immigration check in. She requested NPR not use her last name because of her immigration status.
Around 6:20 a.m. local time, she said, "I started hearing gunshots and I got so scared because my daughter was waiting for me outside."
Mayra says she heard about 20 gunshots, and that at times she could feel the bullets hitting the building. She said law enforcement inside were running around asking for help.
Her daughter, Denises Robleto, said she had to take cover outside. She thought about her mom. "I feel unsafe because we are all immigrants and even though I have a legal status and I've been living in Dallas, Texas for 16 years, I've never seen anything like this," Robleto said in Spanish.
Both women left Nicaragua because of the violence in their country, they told reporters."I feel there's danger everywhere, there's no security," Mayra, the mom, said. Her appointment was postponed for Thursday.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson pleaded for people to be patient as the investigation continues. "Let's remain calm and let our law enforcement partners, our police department do their job," he said. "This is an active investigation. There are still a lot of unanswered questions."
Several officials, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, said "politically motivated violence" needs to stop. "Your opponents are not Nazis," Cruz said. "Divisive rhetoric has real consequences."
NPR's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán reported from Dallas and Russell Lewis from Birmingham, Ala.
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