ICE prosecutor who runs racist X account returns to Dallas immigration court

James Rodden, identified by the Observer last year as the operator of an account that routinely posted hateful statements, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.

By Steven Monacelli, Texas ObserverJanuary 16, 2026 10:15 amBorder & Immigration, Crime & Justice, Texas Observer

From the Texas Observer:

In February of last year, the Texas Observer reported that James “Jim” Joseph Rodden—an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) assistant chief counsel who acts as a prosecutor for ICE in immigration court in Dallas—operates a white supremacist X account named GlomarResponder, based on an overwhelming number of biographical details that the Observer matched through publicly available documents, other social media activity, and courtroom observation.

The account has over 17,000 followers and has routinely posted hateful statements, including that “America is a White nation,” that “‘Migrants’ are all criminals,” and that “All blacks are foreign to my people,” in addition to posts with apparent praise of Adolf Hitler.

James Rodden at the federal immigration court in Dallas on January 13, 2026.

After the Observer’s initial story was published, Rodden was apparently pulled from federal immigration court schedules. Three members of Congress sent letters to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security demanding an investigation into Rodden. ICE responded in a letter last March to Congressman Marc Veasey, who represents part of Dallas, stating that the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) “understands the seriousness of the allegations and will ensure the allegations are addressed appropriately, fairly, and expeditiously” and that typically “OPR administrative investigations are completed within 120 days.” ICE has not provided any further information since.

Upon receiving a tip from an attorney who represents immigrants in removal proceedings at the Dallas Immigration Court, the Observer arrived at the courtroom of Judge Deitrich H. Sims Tuesday afternoon ahead of the day’s merits hearings for federal immigration cases. When the Observer opened the door to the courtroom, Rodden was sitting at the prosecutors’ desk. A court clerk said the Observer was not allowed to sit in on the hearings. The Observer also obtained a photo of Rodden exiting the courtroom Tuesday wearing his staff badge.

ICE did not immediately respond to the Observer’s request for comment on Rodden’s employment status.

Rodden’s apparent return to work as an ICE prosecutor in immigration court comes at a time when ICE’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics are driving national controversy and mass protests, especially after an ICE agent in Minneapolis shot and killed Renee Good, a mother and award-winning poet, on January 7.

Rodden’s X account, GlomarResponder, has been set to private but is still active. On September 28, 2025, the account responded to the question “Can anyone point to me exactly where America started going downhill?” The account responded: “November 6, 1860”—the date that President Abraham Lincoln, the president whose administration ended slavery, was elected.

“I will not let this go unnoticed,” said Veasey in a statement to the Observer. “White supremacists should not hold positions of authority in our justice system, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that Rodden is held accountable.”