A known anti-ICE agitator is in custody after he allegedly tried to firebomb a key federal building in Lower Manhattan Monday morning, sparking a blaze right outside the FBI’s New York field office and immigration court.
The suspect wheeled a cart loaded with fireworks and flammable liquid to the north side of 26 Federal Plaza around 8:30 a.m., dumped the incendiary device, and set it ablaze before attempting to flee, law enforcement sources said. Thick black smoke and flames shot into the air as panicked bystanders scattered.
Two people suffered minor injuries in the chaos. The suspect was quickly tackled and arrested at the scene by NYPD officers.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the brazen attack in a statement posted on X: “This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza in New York. The individual is in custody and two minor injuries reported thus far. FBI JTTF is investigating the incident.”
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the probe. Authorities revealed the suspect has a documented history of anti-ICE activity.
Cops searching his belongings found a sign reading “ICE off our streets,” along with a knife, a hammer, and pellet guns inside the cart.
The 41-story building at 26 Federal Plaza houses multiple federal agencies, including the FBI New York field office and the city’s immigration court. It sits just blocks from City Hall and federal courthouses.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a vocal critic of ICE, called the incident “deeply disturbing” but offered no condemnation of anti-ICE activism. “I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody,” he said. “My team is in touch with the NYPD and we will support the federal investigation.”
The attack comes as tensions over immigration enforcement remain high in the sanctuary city. The FBI has not yet released the suspect’s name or full motive, but investigators are treating it as a potential act of domestic terrorism.
Video of the incident shows heavy smoke billowing from the sidewalk and officers subduing the suspect amid the chaos.
The building was briefly placed under a shelter-in-place order as first responders secured the area.
More details are expected as the Joint Terrorism Task Force continues its investigation.
