Anti-ICE Rampage Backfires—Immigrant Hurt

police officer detains person with hands zip-tied behind back — Photo: Glynnis Jones / Shutterstock

An anti-ICE extremist tried to torch a New York federal immigration building, said he did not care if civilians or federal workers died, and the only civilian he injured was reportedly an immigrant.

Story Snapshot

Army veteran Andrew Arrabaca sparked a fire and fired airsoft rifles at Manhattan’s 26 Federal Plaza, home to immigration court and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials say Arrabaca carried anti-ICE literature and a sign and admitted he was fine with killing people going in or out, civilian or federal worker.
Three people suffered minor injuries, including one immigrant civilian, highlighting the cruel irony of violent anti-ICE “protest.”
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating as part of a growing wave of violent attacks on immigration enforcement facilities and officers nationwide.

Anti-ICE Attack Targets Federal Immigration Hub in Manhattan

Federal officials say 43-year-old Army veteran Andrew Arrabaca arrived at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan armed with gasoline, fireworks, airsoft rifles, knives, axes, and a machete. The building houses an immigration court, Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices, and other federal agencies, making it a core hub for enforcing our immigration laws. Video and witness reports show Arrabaca pouring gasoline near an employee entrance and igniting it, triggering a blast and fire outside the busy federal complex.

Federal Protective Service officers and other security personnel quickly tackled Arrabaca as flames rose and smoke filled the entrance area. Officials say he fired airsoft rifles toward the building and at bystanders before he was subdued, turning a political rage into a true public safety threat. Investigators recovered a bag with weapons and a written manifesto, along with a sign reading “ICE Off Our Streets” and other anti-ICE materials, underscoring that this was not random crime but a targeted ideological attack.

Suspect Admits He Did Not Care If Civilians Died

James Barnacle, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, said Arrabaca told agents he was targeting the building and was “OK if he hurt or killed people going in and out,” whether they were federal employees or civilians. That admission strips away any claim that this was harmless “protest.” It shows a mindset that treats our immigration system, and anyone connected to it, as fair game for violence. The FBI is now investigating the attack through its Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Federal officials described Arrabaca as an “anti-government extremist” and “anti-ICE rioter,” language that reflects growing concern about radicalized activists who have moved from slogans to explosives and guns. According to reporting, the only civilian injured was an immigrant, making the attack tragically ironic: a man claiming to stand against immigration enforcement ended up hurting the very people he says he is defending. Two federal employees also suffered minor injuries, highlighting the risk to public servants whose job is simply to carry out the law.

Pattern of Rising Violence Against ICE and Immigration Officers

This attack is not a one-off event; it fits into a larger trend federal agencies have been warning about. The FBI has opened domestic terrorism investigations into anti-ICE activity across 23 field offices, citing a clear rise in threats and attacks on officers and facilities involved in immigration enforcement. A Department of Homeland Security report found assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers up nearly 700 percent over a recent period, reflecting a new willingness by extremists to use force instead of debate.

Video shows suspect Andrew Arrabaca allegedly pouring gasoline and setting a fire outside Manhattan's 26 Federal Plaza, home to New York's immigration court and ICE offices.

Arrabaca is now in custody. Sources tell FOX News he had "anti-ICE stuff on him" at the time of the alleg pic.twitter.com/rTKpSTyySM

— Katarina Petrikova (@Katarinapetriko) July 21, 2026

Recent cases include a shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas, where the suspect wrote that he wanted to “maximize lethality” against officers while damaging property. Congress has responded with resolutions condemning violent attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel and detainees and reaffirming support for lawful immigration enforcement. Together, these incidents show that the Manhattan attack is part of a broader campaign to intimidate and punish those who uphold our border and immigration laws, striking at the rule of law itself.

Why This Matters for Law, Safety, and Common Sense

For many Americans, especially those who support strong borders and legal immigration, this story captures a deep moral and practical failure in parts of the anti-ICE movement. A man claimed to oppose tough immigration enforcement, then tried to set off an incendiary device at the entrance of an immigration building, where immigrants, officers, and ordinary workers all walk through every day. His actions did nothing to fix laws or help families; they only spread fear and injury.

Violent attacks like this put immigrant communities, federal employees, and nearby civilians in the same crosshairs, and they invite more government security measures and surveillance in response. That is bad for liberty and bad for public trust. Real reform comes from elections, legislation, and peaceful debate, not gasoline, pellet guns, and explosives. As the Trump administration’s agencies investigate and respond, the stakes are clear: either America defends its officers, courts, and lawful immigration system from political violence, or extremists learn that attacking the Constitution’s system of law is an acceptable way to make a point.