Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team and other federal agents investigate the scene of an incendiary device explosion outside 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, New York, USA, on July 20, 2026.
Kyle Mazza | Anadolu | Getty Images
An alleged anti-ICE activist was taken into custody after setting off fireworks and brandishing two airsoft rifles outside an immigration court building in Lower Manhattan on Monday morning, five law enforcement officials told MS NOW.
Sources told MS NOW that two people were injured and were being treated at the scene, while another person was undergoing tests.
Officials said the fireworks were in a shopping cart and the man doused them with an accelerant and ignited them.
He also “threatened” nearby pedestrians with an airsoft rifle, MS NOW reported. An airsoft rifle is a type of pellet gun that typically uses a spring or compressed air to fire a plastic ball.
The FBI told CNBC in a statement that someone set off an “incendiary device” outside 26 Federal Plaza, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field offices are located.
The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the incident, the bureau announced.
The NYPD Public Affairs Office earlier told CNBC that “someone had set off fireworks” outside the Immigration Services building.
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani told the X-Post that the incident was “very disturbing.”
“I am relieved that there were no serious injuries and that the suspect is in custody. My team is in contact with the NYPD and will assist with the federal investigation,” Mamdani said in a statement.
“My administration will continue to ensure all New Yorkers are safe in our city and will hold accountable those who threaten that,” the mayor said.
