A man identified by law enforcement sources as 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca wheeled a grocery cart loaded with fireworks and what is believed to be gasoline to the entrance of 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan Monday morning, poured the liquid on the building's stairs, set it ablaze, and was tackled by a federal protective security officer within seconds — leaving three people with injuries and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force with an open investigation into what officials are calling an anti-government attack on a federal facility.
The attack occurred at approximately 8:20 a.m. at 26 Federal Plaza on Foley Square, a 41-story building in Manhattan's Civic Center that houses the FBI's New York field office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and other federal agencies. Arrabaca placed the flammable liquid on the building's entrance stairs, stacked fireworks on top of it, and ignited the device. A Federal Protective Service security officer physically tackled and detained him before he could take further action, sustaining minor injuries in the process. Arrabaca was carrying two pellet guns and a manifesto, along with a sign reading "ICE OFF OUR STREETS" and other anti-ICE materials. Two additional people — a federal employee and a civilian — were treated and released. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest on X and said the JTTF is leading the investigation.
"At approximately 8:20 am, an anti-ICE rioter launched fireworks outside of 26 Federal Plaza, poured what is believed to be gasoline on the stairs of the entrance of the building and set it on fire. An FPS Protective Security Officer swiftly tackled and detained the agitator, sustaining minor injuries during the incident. Officers quickly recovered the individual's bag, which contained what appeared to be two pellet guns and a manifesto." — Department of Homeland Security statement
Law enforcement sources told Fox News Digital that Arrabaca is a former Army and National Guard veteran and may have emotional issues, though no formal mental health assessment has been publicly disclosed. The FBI's New York Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle Jr. characterized the incident as an "anti-government attack on a federal facility." Mayor Zohran Mamdani — whose administration was rebuked last week for attempting to arrange a meeting with Iran's UN ambassador — called the incident "deeply disturbing" and said his team is in touch with the NYPD and will support the federal investigation. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also condemned the attack.
The attack is the latest in a pattern of escalating anti-ICE violence that has concerned law enforcement officials for months. Federal protective service officers and ICE agents have faced increasing confrontations at immigration facilities across the country as resistance to the Trump administration's enforcement operations has moved from protest to direct action. The presence of a manifesto and anti-ICE signage suggests Arrabaca planned the attack deliberately and selected the target — a building that houses the city's primary ICE and immigration enforcement offices — for ideological reasons.
26 Federal Plaza is one of the most significant federal facilities in the United States, housing multiple law enforcement and immigration agencies that process hundreds of thousands of cases annually. Federal law imposes enhanced penalties for attacks on federal facilities and federal officers. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force — which investigates domestic terrorism, international terrorism, and attacks on federal property — is leading the investigation. Formal charges against Arrabaca had not been publicly announced as of Monday afternoon.
A federal security officer tackled a man who had just set fire to a federal building and was carrying two weapons and a manifesto. That officer is a hero and deserves to be recognized as one. What Arrabaca attempted Monday morning was not protest — it was an attack on a government building motivated by political ideology, which is the definition of domestic terrorism regardless of how sympathetic the political class finds his cause. The JTTF should treat it accordingly, and the politicians who have spent months mainstreaming anti-ICE rhetoric should understand that words have consequences when they reach people who are already unstable.