Surveillance Video Shows Anti-ICE Arson Attack on NYC Federal Building
Federal prosecutors have released surveillance video showing a 43-year-old U.S. Army veteran carrying out a brazen arson and weapons attack on the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, a structure that houses FBI, ICE, and immigration court offices. The suspect, Andrew Arrabaca, was tackled and arrested at the scene by federal officers after launching fireworks, firing a BB gun, and igniting gasoline on the building’s steps, according to Fox News.
The Attack
The incident unfolded on the morning of July 20, 2026, when Arrabaca arrived at 26 Federal Plaza pulling a cart bearing an “ICE Off Our Streets” banner. Surveillance footage shows him wearing camouflage pants and a helmet as he launched fireworks toward pedestrians, fired a BB or pellet gun at the building, poured gasoline on the entrance steps, and ignited the fuel. He then threw a box containing additional fireworks into the flames.
Three people suffered minor injuries in the attack: two federal employees, including a Federal Protective Service officer, and a civilian asylum seeker who was grazed by fireworks debris while attending a court hearing.
Two Federal Protective Service officers, a security guard, and an FBI agent tackled and detained Arrabaca at the scene. Authorities recovered an arsenal of weapons from his cart, including two axes, a hammer, a machete, three knives, additional incendiary devices, and anti-ICE literature.
The Suspect
Andrew Arrabaca, originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, with a recent address in Harlem, served in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2005 as a Patriot missile system mechanic. Voter records show he registered as a Democrat and a member of the left-wing Working Families Party.
According to the criminal complaint, Arrabaca told investigators he was “motivated to act by anti-government beliefs, including a belief that government authorities were unlawfully harming people” and that he targeted the staircase because he knew it led to a busy entrance. He allegedly stated he was “okay if he hurt or killed people.”
FBI Assistant Director James Barnacle, the assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office, characterized Arrabaca as “an anti-American, anti-government extremist” who “came armed with bad intentions.” The Department of Homeland Security described him as an “anti-ICE rioter.”
A Flashpoint Location
26 Federal Plaza has been at the center of heightened tensions over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. The 41-story skyscraper houses ICE offices where more than 1,000 undocumented asylum seekers have been taken into custody since 2025. A Manhattan federal judge earlier this year barred ICE from detaining asylum seekers inside the building in most circumstances, while another judge deemed conditions in the 10th-floor holding cells “inhumane.”
Barnacle noted that the Federal Building “has long been a target of extremists” despite being “one of the most secure locations in Manhattan, surrounded by barricades and road closures.” The building has been the site of multiple protests, including two in 2025 that resulted in the arrest of former City Comptroller Brad Lander.
Political Fallout
The attack has sharpened political divisions around immigration enforcement in New York. Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the incident “deeply disturbing” and expressed relief that no one was seriously injured, but faced backlash from critics who argued his past anti-ICE rhetoric may have inflamed tensions. Supporters countered that his criticism was directed at policy and tactics, not individual officers.
Investigation and Charges
The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation, with assistance from the NYPD Bomb Squad. As of July 23, formal federal charges had not yet been filed, but authorities expect charges including arson of a federal facility, assault on federal officers, and potentially terrorism-related enhancements. Arrabaca does not appear to have a prior criminal record.
Broader Context
The attack is part of a series of incidents targeting federal immigration facilities amid a nationwide surge in protests over immigration enforcement. In a separate case, a Chicago man was accused of using an SUV as a weapon against an ICE agent, and a former Marine was sentenced to 100 years in prison for an ICE detention center ambush.
What’s Next
As the investigation continues, questions remain about whether Arrabaca acted alone or had connections to organized activist groups, and what his mental health history may reveal. The case is also expected to prompt renewed scrutiny of security protocols at federal buildings nationwide, particularly given that the suspect was able to carry out a multi-stage attack at what officials described as one of the most secure locations in Manhattan.