City of Alvarado Police said that an officer was shot in the neck and is receiving treatment after responding to an attack on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Prairieland, Texas, on Friday evening.
Newsweek reached out by email to the City of Alvarado Police Department and outside of normal business hours on Sunday morning. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) declined to comment.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has highlighted attacks and violence against federal personnel and buildings as it ramps up its mass deportation operations. Protests against mass deportation operations have, at times, turned violent, such as during the Los Angeles anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests in June. In response, President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and U.S. Marines to the city, which local elected officials objected with.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday that the department is monitoring attacks on detention facilities in Prairieland and Portland, Oregon.
“The Department has zero tolerance for assaults on federal officers or property and will bring the full weight of the law against those responsible,” he wrote.
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook
What To Know
City of Alvarado police responded on Friday night to the Prairieland Detention Center at around 10:56 p.m. CT, finding a “suspicious person” who appeared to be carrying a firearm, according to a post on Facebook.
The first officer to respond to the scene engaged the suspect, at which point multiple others opened fire on him. The officer was struck in the neck by “at least one bullet,” according to the department’s statement.
The officer was treated at Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth and released as of Saturday evening.
The other suspects attempted to flee the scene, but Alvarado police, Johnson County sheriffs, and neighboring agencies arrested several of them. The sheriff’s office stated that “the motives of the suspects are unclear.”
“Alvarado Police Department would like to thank the local agencies, the Sheriff’s office, the Texas Rangers, and the Federal law enforcement agencies that continue to provide assistance,” the department said.
Names of the suspects have not been released, and CBS News reported that authorities arrested eight people, some of whom wore body armor, citing a federal law enforcement source.
The same source said that over a dozen masked individuals dressed in black had arrived at the detention facility and vandalized vehicles and security cameras in the parking lot. They also launched fireworks, which the source speculated may have been done to draw out law enforcement.
Incident at the Portland Detention Facility
Blanche’s reference to an attack in Portland likely refers to the clash between protesters and law enforcement on July 4, which occurred outside of the Portland Detention Facility.
Protesters had gathered in opposition to Trump’s policies and to the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which the president signed on Friday, and which will supercharge his deportation operations by handing ICE a budget comparable to that of some national militaries.
Tensions escalated between protesters and federal officers, leading to clashes, according to local outlet KOIN 6.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security by email on Sunday for clarity about Blanche’s comments, but the Portland Police Bureau in an emailed comment said that their department “hasn’t made any arrests outside the federal facility in some time.”
What People Are Saying
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote on X: “We are closely monitoring the attacks on DHS detention facilities in Prairieland, TX, and Portland, OR, and are coordinating with the USAOs and our law enforcement partners. The Department has zero tolerance for assaults on federal officers or property and will bring the full weight of the law against those responsible.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this week wrote on X: “Our heroic ICE law enforcement officers are facing a nearly 700% increase in assaults against them. If you obstruct or assault our law enforcement, this administration will hunt you down and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
What Happens Next?
ICE and DHS will continue to carry out Trump’s deportation efforts, and Department of Justice (DOJ) will look to prosecute those who engage in violent protests against federal agents carrying out their orders.
Update 7/6/25, 6:25 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
