North Texas activists who protest ICE respond to attack at Dallas field office

North Texas activists who have helped organize protests against immigration enforcement tactics say it’s dangerous to cast blame against critics of ICE for Wednesday’s shooting in Dallas.

After a shooter opened fire at an ICE field office, killing a detainee and wounding two others, conservative leaders from Texas to Washington were quick to accuse the left of violent rhetoric that contributed to the attack, though no motives were immediately known.

President Trump said on Truth Social that the bloodshed “is the result of the Radical Left Democrats constantly demonizing Law Enforcement, calling for ICE to be demolished, and comparing ICE Officers to ‘Nazis.’”

Eddie Delgado is a co-leader of Indivisible Fort Worth, part of an organization that helped stage the “No Kings” rallies this summer. He said it's time to keep the door open for productive dialogue and not violent and dehumanizing social media posts.

“It’s perfectly fine to disagree on policies, but it’s not OK to disagree on what’s considered human life,” Delgado said. “People need to stop the violence against each other.”

Delgado said he is frustrated but not shocked by the outpouring of blame by Republican politicians and others.

The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University two weeks ago has shaken the nation and reignited debate over the line between free speech and incitement. Trump has said he will dismantle left-wing groups that promote violence and “domestic terrorism.”

But local groups that hold vigils, advocate for immigrants or protest methods of immigration enforcement say their goal is to make sure that all people are treated equally and fairly under the law.

Sabrina Ball, a leader of Indivisible 12 who helped organized the “No Kings” March of Dissent in Fort Worth in June, said she was waiting to learn more about the shooter’s motives.

Ball said she wished that political leaders who are blaming the left would wait for investigators to do their work.

“It is extremely dangerous for everyone when our leaders can’t show the same amount of patience that I am at home,” Ball said. “We need to see what comes in and even then, to examine what’s causing this, to truthfully examine what’s causing this instead of just immediately lashing out at all of the left.”

Another ‘No Kings’ rally in Fort Worth in October

Both Ball and Delgado said that they organize peaceful, law-abiding events across North Texas, and that make sure people can exercise their constitutional rights. A “No Kings” protest is planned for Oct 18 in Fort Worth and other cities.

“You do have a lot of folks coming out that want to join us in protesting and resistance,” Ball said. “We always want to make sure that they have de-escalation training, that they learn to watch their surroundings.”

Delgado said the focus could be on the ICE detainee who was killed and their family.

“Everybody just immediately said, this is an attack on ICE,” Delgado said. “Where is the compassion for the people that were impacted when they are not part of the community on the right?”

Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the Dallas Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, said Wednesday’s attack at the ICE field office and the ensuing rhetoric is destructive to the welfare of the community.

“The fact that it’s coming from some of the highest offices in the state and the land doesn’t help,” Carroll said. “They actually set the precedent and, to some degree, may give tacit approval to people who are actually upset or have issues with Muslims or the Muslim community.”

Carroll said community members should stay vigilant, remain calm and to reach out to law enforcement if they feel they’re in danger.

Carroll said he was a member of the NAACP Youth Council when he was 15 and he sees the same rhetoric that was used then being used now.

“Our people have been working hard, just like any other American group, and that I think it’s important for our leaders, our governor and our president to try to bring the community and the society together, rather than to divide it,” Carroll said. “I would encourage people to keep that in mind, and we’re all in the same boat, and that we’re all working for the same thing, and we all belong to the same country.”

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said on Wednesday the community needs to come together.

“This should not be a partisan issue,” Johnson said in a press release. “We should all condemn violence intended to serve a political agenda and work together to end it. And during these times of great division, we must work that much harder, speak that much clearer, and listen that much more earnestly.”

Mara Richards Bim serves as the Justice and Advocacy fellow at Dallas’ Royal Lane Baptist Church and organizes prayer vigils outside the Dallas ICE office that was attacked. She said that while this incident hit close to home, the vigils will continue.

“I feel that this witness is an important one. I feel that the fact that this is a prayerful witness is important… in the current climate… I think we all recognize that it may not be as safe as it once was,” Bim said.

Star-Telegram reporter Lillie Davidson contributed to this story.

This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 7:11 PM.