Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons announced that all ICE facilities across the country will be placed on heightened alert following a shooting at a Dallas field office. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, resulted in the death of one detainee and left two others critically injured. No ICE officers were harmed during the shooting, which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as "an attack on ICE law enforcement."

The suspected shooter, identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, fired from a nearby rooftop, targeting the ICE building and a van in the sallyport where the victims were located. Jahn later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Initially, DHS reported that two detainees had died, but later corrected this to confirm that one died and two were injured. One of the injured individuals is a Mexican national, according to Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Law enforcement officials and some Republican politicians have suggested that the shooting may have been politically motivated, occurring amid increased ICE deportation efforts nationwide. The DHS reported a more than 1,000% rise in assaults against ICE officers. In July, two Texas facilities were targeted, including an incident where a police officer was shot at an ICE detention center in Alvarado.

The FBI is investigating the Dallas shooting as an act of targeted violence. Special Agent Joe Rothrock noted that rounds found near the shooter contained messages that were anti-ICE. FBI Director Kash Patel shared an image of bullets recovered from the scene, one of which was engraved with the phrase "ANTI-ICE."

Vice President JD Vance stated that evidence not yet released indicates the shooter was a "left-wing extremist" motivated to attack those enforcing immigration laws. Officials have condemned the violence against ICE and law enforcement. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem expressed condolences, stating, "Our prayers are with the families of those killed and our ICE law enforcement. This vile attack was motivated by hatred for ICE."

Former President Donald Trump criticized the attack on social media, stating, "The Brave Men and Women of ICE are just trying to do their jobs... but they are facing an unprecedented increase in threats, violence, and attacks by Deranged Radical Leftists." Senator Ted Cruz also condemned the violence, emphasizing that politically motivated violence is unacceptable.

In response to the shooting, immigration advocates in Colorado expressed concern about the rising violence. Brandon Gehrke Quintanilla, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO, shared his confusion about the situation, stating, "I think what's going through my mind is, like, a lot of confusion about what is happening right now with the amount of violence."

Jennifer Piper, program director of the Colorado office of the American Friends Service Committee, reaffirmed their commitment to advocating for those in ICE facilities. She stated, "We believe in the dignity and the security of every single person's life, but this attack really impacted immigrants and wounded them."

The shooting has sparked discussions among advocates about how to continue supporting their communities while ensuring safety at ICE facilities.