A man set off a makeshift incendiary device outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan on Monday morning, prompting federal agents to rush from the building with guns drawn as smoke filled the area.
The suspect was taken into custody shortly after the incident around 8:30 a.m. No serious injuries were reported. The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating.
26 Federal Plaza houses key federal immigration agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (immigration court). The Jacob K. Javits Federal Office Building also contains the FBI’s New York office.
According to officials, the man pushed a cart containing fireworks, a flammable liquid, airsoft rifles, a pellet gun, a knife, and a hammer. He deployed the device, which produced flames and thick white smoke. Responders extinguished the fire before it reached the building.
The cart carried a sign reading “ICE Off Our Streets,“ reported ABC 7 NY.
The FBI stated, per Fox News, that “This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza. The individual has been taken into custody and the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the incident.”
FBI statement to @FoxNews:
"This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza. The individual has been taken into custody and the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the incident."
NYPD tells FOX there was a "found… https://t.co/bUdDbryRxC
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 20, 2026
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that “What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing. I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody. My team is in touch with the NYPD and we will support the federal investigation.”
FBI Director Kash Patel publicly confirmed the custody and minor injuries, stating the Joint Terrorism Task Force continues to investigate.
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. @NewYorkFBI
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) July 20, 2026
Officials described the suspect as a protester with a history of anti-enforcement activity. NYPD sources reported a firearm was found in connection with the event.
Similar Incidents in Recent Years
Attacks and plots targeting federal facilities or immigration-related sites have occurred. In 2019, a gunman killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, in an attack authorities linked to anti-immigrant sentiment, though not a direct strike on a federal building.
In 2020, during protests following the death of George Floyd, federal buildings in Portland, Oregon, faced repeated arson attempts and violent demonstrations, with some targeting ICE facilities. Federal agents were deployed to protect property.
More recently, authorities have disrupted plots involving explosives or drones against government targets. In July 2026, eight men faced charges in an alleged multi-phase terror plot using explosive-laden drones targeting a UFC event at the White House hosted by President Donald Trump.
Federal law enforcement officials have noted increased threats against immigration officers and facilities as enforcement actions ramp up. ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons during congressional testimony (April 16, 2026) stated the following:
“However, this increased enforcement activity has been met with increased threats, assaults, and doxing incidents against ICE employees across the country. In FY 2025 alone, death threats against ICE personnel increased by more than 8,000 percent from FY 2024. Over the course of 2025, assaults increased more than 1,400 percent compared to 2024.”
The investigation into the Manhattan incident remains ongoing. No additional details on charges or the suspect’s identity have been released publicly as of the time of publication.
