Hazmat teams have been deployed to a federal government building in New York City after envelopes containing a mysterious white powder were discovered, authorities said.
Just before 4 p.m. on Thursday, the New York City Fire Department received a report of white powder on the 9th floor of 26 Federal Plaza, a spokesperson told The Independent.
The building in downtown Manhattan is home to an immigration court and detention center. The 9th floor serves as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office.
The building has been evacuated, FDNY said. There are no injuries or illnesses, according to NYPD.
“New Yorkers, I have been preliminarily briefed on the matter unfolding at 26 Federal Plaza where envelopes containing white powder were discovered. I want to also reassure you that there are no known injuries at this time,” the mayor wrote on X Thursday evening.
An ICE field office in downtown Manhattan was evacuated after white powder was found, authorities said (NYC Deputy Mayor for Public Safety)
“While we await test results from our federal partners, @FDNY Hazmat teams are on the ground to ensure the safety of everyone inside and outside of the building.”
The investigation is ongoing, NYPD told The Independent.
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry said in a statement shared to social media: “Our teams and federal partners are investigating an incident at 26 Federal Plaza. I have personally briefed @nycmayor Adams and The Deputy Mayor for Administration Camille Joseph Varlack in regard to the circumstances. The investigation is ongoing. Expect increased presence and temporary closures. Please avoid the area and follow official channels for verified updates.”
Hazmat teams have been deployed and the investigation is ongoing, Mayor Eric Adams said (NYC Deputy Mayor for Public Safety)
It’s not immediately clear where the substance came from.
The Independent has reached out to ICE for more information.
The area outside the federal building has been at the heart of protests amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The 10th floor houses a makeshift detention center.
The area outside the federal building has been at the heart of protests amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown (Getty Images)
This week, a federal judge in New York ordered the Trump administration to improve conditions inside the makeshift facility, where detainees reported little access to food and water, sleeping on cement floors and not having anywhere to bathe for days or weeks at a time. Justice Department lawyers admitted that immigrants held there don’t have access to medication and aren’t allowed to meet with lawyers in person.
In the wake of the judge’s order, Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Independent in a statement: “Any claim of subprime conditions at ICE facilities are categorically false. 26 Federal Plaza operates as a processing center, brief intake for illegal aliens, and then transfer to an ICE detention center meeting national standards for care and custody, which are in most cases better than facilities which detain Americans.”
DHS plans to appeal the order.
