Early Wednesday morning, a shooter opened fire on the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, raining rounds from an adjacent building into a transport sally port and leaving one detainee dead and two others critically wounded while the gunman later died of a self-inflicted wound. Local and federal authorities rushed to the scene and confirmed the FBI is leading the investigation into the attack as targeted violence against an ICE location.
Newly released surveillance footage captured the terrifying chaos inside the facility as ICE agents scrambled to shield detainees and secure transport vans while gunfire echoed through the lot, a scene no American should ever get used to. The video is a stark reminder of the dangers frontline law-enforcement and immigration officers face while carrying out the government’s duties.
Federal investigators have identified the shooter as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, and details emerging from the probe paint a picture of a planned attack: authorities recovered evidence suggesting the suspect had researched DHS facilities and ballistics beforehand, and investigators are treating the incident as an intentional act targeting ICE. Reports also say officers found markings and materials linking the suspect to anti-ICE motives, underlining this was no random act of violence but a politically motivated strike at law enforcement.
Let’s be clear: this was an attack on law and order itself, and conservatives stand unapologetically with the brave men and women of ICE who do dangerous, thankless work to enforce the law and keep our nation secure. Those who denigrate law enforcement and cheer on the dismantling of agencies like ICE bear moral responsibility for the climate that allows violent extremists to see federal workers as legitimate targets.
Journalists and politicians rushed to commentary even as the investigation continued, which is precisely why leaders should stop fanning division and allow facts to guide public statements instead of reflexive partisan finger-pointing. Americans can demand accountability without turning a tragedy into a political spectacle, but we must also recognize the rhetorical environment that has increasingly demonized immigration enforcement and emboldened violent actors.
The FBI’s early findings about pre-attack planning and online searches for DHS targets expose a disturbing pattern of domestic radicalization that should unite policymakers on both sides of the aisle to act—more surveillance on actual threats, stricter penalties for plotting violence, and better information-sharing among agencies. If Washington refuses to confront extremist actors who target federal employees, these despicable attacks will keep happening and our officers will keep paying the price.
As the investigation continues, hardworking Americans should mourn the victims, pray for the injured, and demand answers from elected officials who must protect those who protect us. We owe it to the fallen and to the brave ICE agents who risk their lives to restore order to secure borders and enforce the law that Congress passes—no excuses, no equivocation, and no more rhetoric that makes killers feel justified.
