Federal authorities arrested an anti-ICE rioter within 24 hours after he allegedly threatened an ICE agent and the agent’s family outside a Newark detention facility.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI used facial recognition technology to identify the subject after independent journalist Nick Sortor posted video from outside Delaney Hall, an ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey.
Touch a cop and this FBI will put you down – thanks to @nicksortor for the video we used facial recognition technology and @FBI arrested a subject within 24 hourshttps://t.co/4aRJFd3xHB pic.twitter.com/ew6JFNzKXi
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) May 30, 2026
“Touch a cop and this FBI will put you down – thanks to @nicksortor for the video we used facial recognition technology and @FBI arrested a subject within 24 hours,” Patel wrote on X.
RightLine News identified the man as Nicholas Scelfo. Sortor also identified Scelfo in a post after the arrest.
Video Prompted Federal Response
Sortor said he captured the video outside Delaney Hall as the man allegedly threatened the lives of an ICE agent and the agent’s family.
🚨 BREAKING: FBI has just RAIDED and ARRESTED the man who I caught on video threatening the lives of an ICE agent and his family outside ICE Newark
Nicholas Scelfo is facing FEDERAL FELONIES
THIS IS HOW IT’S DONE! 🔥
THANK YOU to @FBIDirectorKash and @DAGToddBlanche for… pic.twitter.com/R3iFty1Drs
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 30, 2026
“BREAKING: FBI has just RAIDED and ARRESTED the man who I caught on video threatening the lives of an ICE agent and his family outside ICE Newark,” Sortor wrote on X.
“Nicholas Scelfo is facing FEDERAL FELONIES,” Sortor added.
Federal charging documents were not immediately available, and the specific charge or charges were not immediately clear.
Blanche Confirms Arrest
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also confirmed the arrest on X.
“Told you. @FBI just arrested the man who threatened to kill ICE officers and their families. FAFO,” Blanche wrote.
The arrest came after Blanche publicly vowed on X that federal authorities would find the man seen in the video.
Delaney Hall Unrest Draws State Response
The arrest followed days of unrest outside Delaney Hall, where anti-ICE demonstrators have gathered outside the facility.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill ordered state police to take control of the area surrounding Delaney Hall after a week of violent clashes between protesters and ICE agents, Reuters reported.
State police moved in to create protected protest zones and separate anti-ICE and pro-ICE demonstrators.
The Scelfo arrest pushed the Delaney Hall unrest into a new phase, with federal officials now focused not only on clashes outside the facility but also on alleged threats against immigration officers and their families.
