A shooting incident in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) administrative facility in Dallas, Texas has left three detainees injured. The local community remains stunned by the tragedy. It remains unclear why this happened. The FBI has designated the incident a “targeted attack,” which took place on [insert date] at the facility. Joshua Jahn, 29, of Fairview, Texas, was named as the suspected shooter. He then died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound following the attack.
Among the injured are Miguel Angel García-Hernandez, Jose Andres Bordones-Molina and Norlan Guzman-Fuentes. García-Hernandez has been living in the United States for the past two decades. He is an undocumented immigrant from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and was severely injured. In the course of the event, he went on to receive three to four gunshot wounds. He’s currently in critical condition at a local hospital.
García-Hernandez’s brother shared the gravity of the situation, stating, “He’s in very serious condition in the hospital. He’s very bad.” His family is understandably frantic with concern for his health. To cover their medical costs and aid in raising their young family, they’ve started a GoFundMe fund, as García-Hernandez’s partner awaits the arrival of their first child.
In the months leading up to this tragic incident, García-Hernandez suffered through complicated family dynamics. His mother had been deported two months before this shooting. His brother expressed a desire for support, saying, “What we want is for them to help my mother so she can come see [García-Hernandez] because she was deported unjustly.”
The attack occurred on the heels of other reports detailing disorder within the facility. A viral video filmed inside the facility witnessed detainees trying to escape while chained and handcuffed. While this is terrifying footage, it brings to light the dire situation that people in this encounter are experiencing. Norlan Guzman-Fuentes, the other detainee shot during the attack, has an even longer criminal record punctuated by previous arrests.
Whether or not this was Joshua Jahn’s motive is still being investigated. Eyewitness accounts and statements from local residents indicate that tensions surrounding immigration policies may have played a role in his decision to target the ICE facility.
Nancy Larson, a local activist, commented on the socio-economic conditions leading to such violence, stating, “People showing up to collect a dirty paycheck.” This statement highlights the difficult relationship between the concerns of anti-immigrant communities and the broader systemic problems around immigration enforcement.
Our community is still in shock over this terrible tragedy. At the same time, calls for comprehensive reform to immigration policies and the treatment of detainees are at an all-time high. The permanent physical damage to injured detainees and the fallout for their families is an injustice, standing as a result of this violent encounter.