Texas ICE shooting suspects linked to anti-fascist and trans activism… here’s all to know
The Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, as investigators probe the backgrounds of suspects linked to the ICE shooting.
Authorities are piecing together the background of the men accused in the July 5 attack on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Texas, revealing unexpected ties to fringe activist circles.
The incident unfolded in The Bottoms, a predominantly Black and Latino neighborhood in Dallas, when heavily armed men clad in desert camouflage and tactical vests staged a coordinated assault. Witnesses described the chaotic scene as an armored vehicle rolled into the street, while gunmen shouted commands at a brick home before exchanging fire with law enforcement.
Investigators say the suspected ringleader, Benjamin Song, a former Marine Corps reservist, previously trained activists in close-quarters combat and tactical weaponry. His alleged network drew from both trans activist groups and anti-fascist movements, marking a rare crossover between communities often focused on protest organizing rather than militarized action.
Federal officials are now examining how these affiliations converged and escalated into armed conflict, raising questions about extremism, radicalization, and the shifting dynamics of activism in America.