Fire set at immigration facility in Lower Manhattan

A fire broke out at an immigration centre outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan on Monday morning. The blaze injured three people and is being investigated by the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force.

A suspect was seen carrying fireworks into the facility entrance while holding a sign that read “Ice off our streets,” according to the New York Times. The individual, described as having a prior history of anti-Ice activity, then set off an incendiary device that ignited the fireworks and started the fire, authorities said.

Officials told the New York Times the suspect was found with air rifles, gasoline, and a manifesto after the incident.

The assistant director of the

FBI field office in New York identified the suspect as 43-year-old veteran Andrew Arrabaca from Poughkeepsie. An FBI spokesman stated: “An individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza.” The city's mayor described the incident as “deeply disturbing” and said he was relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody.

The building at 26 Federal Plaza houses immigration detainees and has been the target of protests by anti-Ice activists since January 2025. In September, several demonstrators were arrested after attempting to enter the facility. A judge last year ordered improvements to conditions at the centre following complaints about access to basic hygiene items.