White powder sent to federal building in NY is not hazardous, per preliminary results
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Entrance to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) New York headquarters at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images
Envelopes containing white powder found Thursday at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan did not appear to be hazardous, NYC Mayor Eric Adams said on Friday.
Driving the news: ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations workers found the "unidentified white powder" in the mail room on the ninth floor, officials said at a Thursday briefing.
The latest: Preliminary results indicate "no dangerous substance" was in the envelopes, Adams said on 1010 WINS radio.
- "But let's be clear," he said. "This still is a serious crime, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation I'm told is going to conduct their investigation, and anything we can do to assist, we will do so. This was a crime. It should not have happened. And we're going to make sure the person that's responsible will be brought to justice."
The big picture: The building was evacuated and there were no immediate reports of injuries, according to officials on Thursday.
- The New York City Fire Department's hazmat teams were deployed while officials awaited test results from a federal partner. There were no known injuries as of Thursday.
- NYC Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry said on X that people should expect "increased presence and temporary closures" while the investigation into the substance is ongoing.
Of note: An Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that is located at the complex was at the center of a court case this week.
- A federal judge ruled Tuesday that ICE must improve conditions for people detained at the facility by limiting capacity, improving access to hygiene care and providing sleeping mats and access to medical care, among other requirements.
Go deeper: Suspicious packages mailed to election officials across U.S.
Editor's note: This story was updated with Friday developments.
