Five envelopes containing a suspicious white powder were discovered Thursday afternoon at New York City’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office, prompting a full evacuation of the federal building, according to Mayor Eric Adams.
Hazmat Teams Evacuate Federal Plaza
The packages were found around 4 p.m. inside the 9th-floor mailroom of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Office Building at 26 Federal Plaza in Foley Square — home to ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, immigration court, and other federal agencies.
FDNY hazmat teams responded immediately, evacuating the building and securing the scene. Officials confirmed there were no reported injuries. One worker was placed through decontamination as a precaution.
FBI: “We Will Proceed Like There’s Something to It”
Christopher Raia, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York office, said the suspicious substance is undergoing testing. Once initial tests are complete, the envelopes will be sent to the FBI’s Quantico lab in Virginia for further analysis.
“Sending threatening letters of this nature, whether real or a hoax, is a crime,” Raia said. “This matter is not going to be taken lightly, and we will proceed like there is something to it.”
Raia added there is currently no indication of danger to the public.
Comes Amid Trump Immigration Crackdown
The 9th-floor ICE offices targeted by the incident have become a hub for arrests under the Trump administration’s aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration.
Just two days earlier, a federal judge ordered ICE to improve conditions at one of its holding facilities after a lawsuit alleged overcrowded, unsanitary cells and a lack of hygiene products for detainees.
ICE facilities and personnel have increasingly come under attack since the administration ramped up enforcement.
Pattern of Violence Against ICE
Last month, 10 members of an armed mob were charged with attempted murder after opening fire on local police, unarmed federal agents, and detention workers at the Prairieland Detention Center near Dallas, Texas.
One officer was shot in the neck after a suspect fired 20 to 30 rounds, following an assault that included fireworks and vandalism of government vehicles.
The FBI investigation into Thursday’s New York incident is ongoing.
