Authorities report that a man with a documented history of anti-ICE activism ignited an “incendiary device” outside a Manhattan federal building that serves as home to an immigration court.
Surveillance footage captured the suspect pouring an accelerant outside 26 Federal Plaza before setting it ablaze, triggering a significant fire. According to FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle, the suspect utilized fireworks to fuel the fire.
Officials confirmed that two individuals—a federal employee and a civilian—sustained minor injuries; both were treated and promptly released.
Barnacle characterized the event as an “anti-government attack on a federal facility.” He noted that the suspect was equipped with an incendiary device, a pellet gun, and a sign demanding “ICE Off Our Streets.”
The suspect is now in custody, and the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force has launched an investigation into the matter.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the situation, labeling the incident “deeply disturbing.”
“I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody,” he wrote on social media. “… Our administration will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city — and hold accountable any who threaten that.”
