A person set off fireworks and started a fire outside a New York building housing an immigration court and other government offices on Monday morning, prompting a federal investigation. Authorities said the person was overpowered by a security officer and taken into custody, while one bystander was grazed by the fireworks and another person was taken to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The incident happened outside 26 Federal Plaza, a lower Manhattan building that has become a focus of demonstrations against the immigration policies of President Donald Trump's administration. Federal authorities said the person in custody was carrying anti-ICE material, while the FBI said its New York Joint Terrorism Task Force was investigating.

Video from the scene showed flames erupting outside one of the building's entrances before a security officer tackled the person. The person's name has not been released and no charges had been announced.

The Department of Homeland Security said the incident took place at around 8.20 am, when the person allegedly launched fireworks outside the building and then poured what is believed to be petrol on the stairs to an entrance and set it on fire. DHS also said the person had what appeared to be two pellet guns in their bag.

According to DHS, a bystander was grazed by the fireworks and the security officer who tackled the person suffered minor injuries. The New York Fire Department said one person was taken to hospital, but the injuries were not life-threatening.

"What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing," New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on social media. "I'm relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody." Mamdani said his team was in touch with police and would support the federal investigation.

The building houses several government offices, including the New York office of the FBI, as well as the immigration court where agents have carried out chaotic and sometimes violent arrests in the hallway as migrants leave hearings. Photos and videos from the scene showed smoke rising from a fire on the pavement outside the building as officers restrained a person and led them away.

In short, the incident outside 26 Federal Plaza led to a fire, minor injuries and one person being taken into custody, with federal agencies now investigating what happened outside one of New York's key government buildings.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends

Published By:

India Today Web Desk

Published On:

Jul 21, 2026 00:50 IST