US Army veteran arrested after FBI building 'attacked' during ICE protest

US Army veteran arrested after FBI building 'attacked' during ICE protest Tue 21 Jul 2026 at 3:01pm A former US Army soldier protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been arrested in New York after he allegedly set off fireworks, lit a fire and shot a pellet gun outside a federal office building. Law enforcement said three people were injured in the incident before the suspect, Andrew Arrabaca, was subdued. Here's what to know about the attack. What happened? Investigators say Mr Arrabaca arrived at a building known as 26 Federal Plaza around 8.30am on Monday with "bad intentions". He was wearing a military-style helmet and hauling a cart affixed with a sign that read: "ICE Off Our Streets," New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. "The building was attacked," James Barnacle, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York field office, said. "Mr Arrabaca was looking to injure people and harm people." The former soldier appeared to pour petrol from a bucket on the ground outside the employee entrance then set it on fire, according to authorities and local news videos. He also ignited fireworks and fired multiple pellets from an airsoft rifle, authorities said. Mr Barnacle said in addition to the pellet gun, Mr Arrabaca had two axes, three fixed-blade knives, a hammer and a machete. Mr Barnacle said Mr Arrabaca made "anti-government and anti-American statements" as he was being arrested and told investigators he did not care if he killed people. Officials said he arrived in Midtown by subway on Sunday and spent the night on the street in Lower Manhattan. Who was injured? Two government employees and a person who had an immigration court hearing at the building were injured in the attack. According to the New York City Fire Department, one person was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening. A security officer who tackled Mr Arrabaca sustained minor injuries, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which runs ICE, said. Have there been any charges laid? Not at this stage. James McDonald, the deputy US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said no decision had yet been made on charges. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating, but Mr Barnacle declined to classify the attack as an act of terrorism. It was not immediately clear whether Mr Arrabaca had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. What do we know about Arrabaca Andrew Arrabaca served in the US Army from 2001 to 2005 and repaired Patriot missile systems. His last-known address was in Harlem, Ms Tisch said, but he has also lived in Poughkeepsie, about 111 kilometres north of New York. Mr Barnacle described him as an "anti-American, anti-government extremist". "We know that from what he said. We know that from what he said post-arrest, and we know that from his actions that he tried to take today," he said. What is 26 Federal Plaza? The building houses offices for several federal agencies, including ICE and the FBI. It is part of a cluster of government buildings and courthouses in Lower Manhattan, a few blocks from City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge. The building has become a hub of protests against US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. ICE agents have carried out chaotic and sometimes violent arrests in the hallways as immigrants leave hearings. Security at 26 Federal Plaza was increased dramatically in the 1990s after it was revealed followers of Egyptian sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman had included the building in a list of five New York City landmarks that were targeted for bombings. A bulletproof security booth was installed and a street outside the building's parking garage was closed to most vehicular traffic. What is ICE? ICE is a law enforcement agency. It is responsible for enforcing US immigration laws and is tasked with arresting people it believes are in the country illegally. Why are people protesting ICE? While authorities have not provided further insight into Mr Arrabaca's opposition to ICE, the agency's immigration enforcement activities have been criticised for months. During his re-election campaign, Mr Trump promised to massively increase the number of deportations of illegal immigrants. That led to thousands of ICE agents patrolling city streets, carrying out raids, and rounding up people they suspected were in the country illegally, in many cases making violent arrests. In several cases, agents were found to have wrongfully detained, or even mistakenly deported people who had legal rights to be in the US. Public anger has been compounded by the fatal shooting of protesters and legal observers by federal agents protecting immigration enforcement operations. ABC/AP