NEW YORK, July 20 - A man protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement was detained on Monday after authorities said he set a fire and lit fireworks on the entrance steps of the building that houses ICE's New York office, law enforcement officials said.
Officials identified the suspect as Andrew Arrabaca, a 43-year-old U.S. Army veteran who lives in Harlem. Video circulated locally and accounts from authorities showed a man pouring gasoline from a bucket onto the stairs of 26 Federal Plaza, an office tower that also contains the FBI's New York field office, and then setting the liquid on fire.
Authorities said the suspect carried anti-ICE literature and also ignited fireworks at the scene. The Department of Homeland Security posted on X that a Federal Protective Service officer who detained the man sustained minor injuries; DHS described the individual as "an anti-ICE rioter."
At a news conference, James Barnacle, the FBI assistant director in charge of the New York office, said two other people were lightly injured in the incident. Barnacle described the suspect as "an anti-American, anti-government extremist."
"An anti-American, anti-government extremist," James Barnacle said of the suspect.
James McDonald, deputy U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said investigators are continuing their work and that no decision has yet been made on potential charges. Officials said Arrabaca could not be reached for comment, and it was not clear whether he had legal representation.
Authorities provided details on Arrabaca's background from official records, noting he served in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2005 and worked on servicing Patriot missile systems. Investigators on Monday traced the suspect to his Harlem residence.
Officials said Arrabaca arrived in Midtown Manhattan by subway on Sunday and spent the night on the street in Lower Manhattan before the incident on Monday morning. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters he found the episode "deeply disturbing," and expressed relief that no one was seriously injured and that a suspect was in custody.
The investigation remains active as federal and local authorities continue to gather evidence and determine appropriate next steps.
Context and next steps
Law enforcement agencies have accounted for the immediate medical impacts, secured the scene and begun tracing the movements of the individual involved. Prosecutors indicated that a charging decision has not yet been made while investigators continue to examine the facts.