FBI Terror Probe After Federal Plaza Blaze

Smoke, flames, and a man with anti-ICE signs and pellet guns outside a New York federal building have turned another immigration protest into a terrorism investigation.

Story Snapshot

A man with a history of anti-immigration enforcement activity set off an incendiary device outside 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan and was arrested at the scene.
The device, made of fireworks and flammable liquid, started a large fire and sent smoke across the entrance of a building that houses an immigration court and federal offices.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force is now leading the probe, part of a wider trend of treating violent anti-ICE actions as possible terrorism.

What Happened Outside 26 Federal Plaza

Monday morning in lower Manhattan, a man arrived at 26 Federal Plaza with a cart loaded with fireworks, flammable liquid, and what appeared to be long guns. The building is home to an immigration court, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office, and other federal agencies, so it has long been a flashpoint in the country’s immigration fights. According to video and law enforcement sources, the man poured a liquid on the steps and then ignited it, triggering a burst of smoke and fire that forced people nearby to scramble.

Federal Protective Service officers and other agents moved in almost immediately once the smoke device and flames erupted. A Federal Protective Service officer tackled and detained the suspect, suffering minor injuries in the process. The FBI says the suspect was taken into custody on the scene, and that the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is now leading the investigation. The New York Fire Department responded around 8:30 a.m. to what was first reported as an outdoor fire and helped secure the area.

The Suspect and His Anti-ICE Message

Officials have described the man as having a history of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement activism, and local reporting has identified him as 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca. Sources say he carried anti-ICE materials, including a sign reading “ICE Off Our Streets,” and an anti-ICE message was visible on his cart. Law enforcement sources also report that he brandished a pellet gun to keep people back and wheeled a cart with rifles, fireworks, and other items, though the guns appear to have been airsoft or pellet weapons rather than live firearms.

Authorities say the “makeshift incendiary device” combined fireworks with a flammable liquid, likely an accelerant similar to gasoline. The device was thrown or set off near the entrance of the federal building, and video reviewed by reporters shows the suspect deliberately pouring liquid and igniting it. Investigators have not yet publicly named the exact device used or the accelerant, and they are still reviewing evidence gathered from the cart and the scene. They are also checking the suspect’s past record, including any earlier protests or mental health-related encounters with police.

Injuries, Security Response, and Public Concern

The fire and smoke injured several people, but officials say those injuries were minor. Reports from federal authorities and the New York Fire Department say two to three people, including at least one federal worker and firefighters, were hurt and later released from medical care. The suspect also suffered minor, non–life-threatening injuries during the takedown. While this was not a large bomb and did not cause mass casualties, the incident still shook workers and visitors at a building already on edge from past threats and powder scares.

Suspect accused of deploying an incendiary device outside 26 Federal Plaza in New York Monday morning is named Andrew Arrabaca, two law enforcement sources have confirmed.

Sources confirmed that Arrabaca had "anti-ICE stuff on him" at the time of the alleged attack.… pic.twitter.com/UHAHzlsIpu

— True Criminal™ (@DeadFedFiles) July 20, 2026

Federal and city agencies treated the scene as a potential terror attack almost immediately. The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force took charge, and the New York Police Department bomb squad was called to inspect the fireworks, liquid, and weapons in the cart. The Emergency Service Unit set up a perimeter around the building as streets were closed and people were kept back. Officials say they are now looking closely at the suspect’s motives and any links to organized groups, especially given past attacks on immigration facilities.

A Growing Pattern: Protests, Violence, and Terror Labels

This case comes after several high-profile attacks and protests aimed at immigration enforcement sites around the country. In Texas, a federal jury recently convicted nine anti-ICE protesters on terrorism-related charges after a July 4, 2025 protest at the Prairieland Detention Center used fireworks and gunfire against the facility. Some outlets praised those convictions as a strong stand against violent extremism, while civil rights groups warned that the government is using terrorism laws to crush dissent and send a message to immigration activists.

Under Trump’s second term, the Department of Justice has treated some “antifa” and anti-ICE actions as terrorism, especially when weapons, fire, or explosives are involved. For many conservatives, this feels overdue, as they see federal buildings and officers under constant threat and think past leaders were too soft on politically motivated violence. For many liberals, it looks like the government is blurring the line between protest and terrorism, stacking long prison terms on people they view as activists rather than hardened criminals. Both sides, however, see a federal system that seems better at dramatic prosecutions than at fixing the deeper immigration mess that fuels these clashes.

Why This Incident Hits a Nerve Across the Spectrum

People who work hard and play by the rules watch scenes like this and wonder who, if anyone, in Washington is really in charge. The attack outside 26 Federal Plaza shows a system where one man with fireworks and pellet guns can disrupt a major federal building, even with multiple agencies on site. Many Americans see that as proof that security is reactive, not proactive, and that leaders mainly show up after the fact to post statements and hold briefings.

The target itself also speaks to wider anger. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has long been criticized for overreach and heavy-handed raids, while others argue that weak enforcement encourages more illegal crossings and crime. When that fight spills into the streets with fire and weapons, ordinary citizens see proof that their government has lost control of both the border and the debate. Some fear the terrorism label will be used to silence anyone who pushes back against powerful agencies. Others fear that if attacks like this are not treated as terrorism, more people will feel free to bring violence to political disputes. In both cases, trust in the federal government keeps falling.