Immigrant Rights Groups Condemn Dallas ICE Facility Shooting — Demand Immediate Release of People Detained There

(Dallas, Texas) — Today, immigrant rights organizations mourn the tragic violence that unfolded this morning at the Dallas ICE field office, where a shooter reportedly opened fire on the people detained there, killing at least one and critically wounding two more before taking his own life. We extend our condolences to the families and communities affected. We condemn violence of
any kind and are deeply saddened by this tragedy.
Let’s be clear: many people come to the United States fleeing violence and persecution. The increasingly hostile anti-immigrant rhetoric and posture of federal and state authorities only contributes to the climate of violence we saw today. The dehumanization that allows people to be locked in ICE detention centers is the same dehumanization that allowed for today’s violence
to occur.
Dallas is one of the leading cities in the country for ICE arrests. The Dallas County Jail is overcrowded with immigrants held for ICE, and recent reports show that the Dallas ICE Field
Office is violating its own detention standards. The conditions for immigrants in Dallas are unsafe, unlawful, and now, deadly. We call on Dallas leaders to effectuate our demands and for
the immediate release of the remaining detainees at the Dallas ICE field office.
Whether targeting schools, houses of worship, government buildings, or immigrant communities, these attacks often follow predictable patterns. We can and must come together to reject
violence and work for a state where all people are safe and treated with dignity.
In light of today’s violence we, the undersigned groups, demand action:
● Immediately release information about the victims to their family and loved ones and give them access to state victim support programs and protections.
● Release those detained at the Dallas Field Office and end the practice of detaining immigrants nationwide, including at short-term and unregulated holding facilities.
● Insofar as detention remains in practice, require ICE to register and notify families within 12 hours of detention. Every person taken into ICE custody must be immediately identified and entered into the tracking system, with their family and legal representatives notified without delay.
● Account for ICE and DHS failures in anticipating threats or protecting detainees as the facility was targeted.
● End the hateful anti-immigrant rhetoric by our elected officials and federal authorities.
Signed:
Dallas Asian American Historical Society
El Movimiento DFW
Frontera Federation
Grassroots Leadership
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Laredo Immigrant Alliance
LatinoJustice PRLDEF
Mi Familia Vota
North Texas Christians Against Christian Nationalism
North Texas Dream Team
Texas Civil Rights Project
Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry
Vecinos Unidos DFW