Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has ordered heightened security at immigration detention centers nationwide after a fatal shooting at a Texas facility.
“In light of the horrific shooting that was motivated by hatred for ICE and the other unprecedented acts of violence against ICE law enforcement, including bomb threats, cars being used as weapons, rocks and Molotov cocktails thrown at officers, and doxing online of officers’ families, DHS will immediately begin increasing security at ICE facilities across the country,” Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), told Newsweek.
Why It Matters
Wednesday’s shooting in Dallas marks the latest in a string of attacks on ICE facilities, occurring amid the agency’s ongoing efforts to implement President Donald Trump’s hard-line mass deportation policies. ICE has become a deeply polarizing agency, seen by some as a critical tool for upholding the rule of law and by others as a symbol of harsh immigration enforcement.
What To Know
DHS confirmed that one ICE detainee was killed and two others critically injured in the Dallas incident. Earlier reports had incorrectly stated that two detainees died and one was wounded.
The suspect, 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.
According to DHS, the gunman fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, including a van in the sally port where detainees were shot. All victims were ICE detainees. No law enforcement personnel were injured, though the department described the event as “an attack on ICE law enforcement.”
FBI officials reported that ammunition recovered near the suspect contained markings reading “anti-ICE,” suggesting an ideological motive. FBI Director Kash Patel shared a photo of the casings on X, highlighting the anti-ICE sentiment.
Last month, a bomb threat was reported at the same facility. A 36-year-old man, later identified as Bratton Dean Wilkinson, claimed to have a bomb in his backpack at the facility entrance. He displayed what he said was a detonator to a security officer, prompting a shelter-in-place and a response from local police and a bomb squad. Wilkinson was taken into custody and charged with making terroristic threats, DHS said.
Following the Dallas shooting, California officials increased patrols around the GEO Adelanto ICE Processing Center. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a press release that it is stepping up patrols “out of an abundance of caution” and actively monitoring potential threats with federal partners.
What People Are Saying
San Bernardino Sheriff Shannon Dicus stated: “With all the violence happening across the country, your deputies remain vigilant. Please partner with us and if you see something, say something, even threats on social media. We will respond in a significant manner to any extremist activity in this county.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said: “Our prayers are with the families of those killed and our ICE law enforcement. This vile attack was 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 was killed.
“This shooting must serve as a wake-up call to the far-left that their rhetoric about ICE has consequences. Comparing ICE day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has consequences.”
President Donald Trump wrote on X: “It has now been revealed the deranged shooter wrote ‘Anti-ICE’ on his shell casings. This is despicable!”
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: “For months, we’ve been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed. 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.”
What Happens Next
Security at ICE facilities across the nation will remain elevated. DHS and local law enforcement continue to monitor threats to ensure the safety of detainees and staff.
