A suspect deployed an incendiary device outside the federal building at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan on Monday morning, igniting a fire on the entrance stairs and causing minor injuries to two people, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The building houses the New York field offices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, immigration courts, and other agencies. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the individual was in custody and that the bureau’s Joint Terrorism Task Force had opened an investigation. The Department of Homeland Security said the suspect poured what appeared to be gasoline and set it alight with fireworks; a federal law enforcement officer and a bystander sustained minor injuries.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the incident as “deeply disturbing” and said his administration would support the federal investigation. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat representing parts of New York City, issued a statement calling the act one of “terror and violence” that “will never be tolerated” and demanding prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. The FBI’s New York field office assistant director in charge, James Barnacle Jr., told reporters the event was being treated as an “anti-government attack.”

The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, was apprehended while allegedly carrying multiple airsoft rifles, a helmet, and carbon dioxide cartridges. A cart he had wheeled to the scene bore a sign reading “ICE off our streets,” according to multiple US media accounts. Viewed from Washington, the targeting of an ICE facility comes amid heightened political friction over the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, which has made immigration enforcement offices a focal point for protest. In Israeli media, the incident prompted scrutiny of Mayor Mamdani’s public safety record, with some outlets noting his vocal opposition to the president’s immigration policies. Iranian state-linked outlets described the event as a “security incident” involving gunfire and explosives, though US authorities later clarified the weapons were pellet guns.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation, and the New York Police Department’s bomb squad has been inspecting the suspect’s cart. No charges have been announced, and authorities have stated there is no ongoing threat to the public. Road closures remain in effect around Worth Street and Lafayette Street. The incident is expected to intensify debate in Washington over the security of federal facilities and the policing of protests against immigration enforcement, as congressional oversight committees are likely to request briefings on the task force’s findings.