The Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday that two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in Texas received envelopes containing a white, powdery substance, prompting hazmat responses and renewed concerns about escalating threats against federal officers.
According to the DHS, an ICE officer at the Dallas field office opened an envelope addressed to “Dallas Field Office” on Friday morning and discovered an unidentified white powder. A hazardous materials team, along with the Federal Protective Service and the Dallas Fire Department, responded, and the facility briefly issued a shelter-in-place order before returning to normal operations.
A second envelope containing white powder was located at the ICE office in Irving, DHS confirmed.
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said both incidents are under investigation. “On Friday morning, an ICE officer discovered a white powdery substance in an envelope addressed to the Dallas ICE facility. A second envelope with white powder was also found at the Irving ICE office. ICE staff called a hazmat team to investigate. There is no threat to the public and the matter is under investigation,” she said.
McLaughlin noted that the Dallas ICE facility has already faced serious security incidents this year, including a terrorist attack in September and a bomb threat in August.
DHS said threats against ICE personnel have risen sharply, reporting a 1,000% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats as officers carry out enforcement actions across the country.
Officials also pointed to similar incidents involving mailed white powder, including an August case at ICE offices in 26 Federal Plaza in New York City, and what DHS described as an unprecedented rise in vehicle-ramming attempts targeting federal law enforcement.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reiterated that attacks on federal officers will be prosecuted aggressively. DHS said its investigation into the two Texas envelopes remains ongoing.
