NEW YORK (AP) — A person deployed an “incendiary device” Monday morning outside a New York building housing an immigration court and other federal offices before being taken into custody at the scene, the FBI said.
The FBI said its New York Joint Terrorism Task Force was investigating the eruption of smoke and flames outside of 26 Federal Plaza, which has become a focal point for demonstrations against the immigration policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.
The individual in custody, whose name has not been released, was carrying anti-ICE material, according to preliminary information gathered by law enforcement and described by a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name.
The New York Fire Department said it was called at about 8:30 a.m., and initial reports indicated an outdoor fire. One person was transported to the hospital, but their injuries weren’t life-threatening, the department said.
“What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on social media. “I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody.”
Mamdani said his team was in touch with police and will support the federal investigation.
The building in Lower Manhattan houses several government offices — including the New York office of the FBI — and the immigration court where agents have carried out chaotic and sometimes violent arrests in the hallway as migrants leave hearings.
Videos and photos from the scene showed a fire with a plume of smoke on the sidewalk outside the building, as well as officers restraining a person and taking them away. ___
Associated Press Reporters Jamie Stengle in Dallas and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
