An incendiary device was reportedly thrown at a government building in downtown Atlanta around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, the FBI said, in an incident that struck a facility housing Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices and the city's immigration court. Atlanta police said no injuries were reported.
The FBI confirmed the report to local media, according to Atlanta News First, which first detailed the timing and location of the incident. The outlet reported that the building targeted sits in downtown Atlanta and also houses the city's immigration court, placing the incident squarely within a building that serves both enforcement and judicial functions tied to immigration cases. Police have not said whether the device caused damage or ignited a fire, and no arrest has been announced in connection with Tuesday's incident.
11Alive also reported on the FBI's investigation into the matter, noting that the bureau is looking into reports that an incendiary device was thrown at the ICE building, according to 11Alive.
A Familiar Address for Federal Investigators
This is not the first time Atlanta's downtown ICE building has drawn the attention of federal investigators. The FBI is currently offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Ronald Scott Watson, a Kennesaw resident also known by several aliases, according to CBS News. Authorities have accused Watson of being involved in an attack on the same downtown Atlanta ICE office back on July 25, 2020.
The 2020 incident involved masked protesters who investigators say threw rocks, cinderblocks, Molotov cocktails and other materials at the building, causing more than $78,000 in damage. The FBI considers Watson armed and dangerous, per the same report.
Another Incident at an Immigration-Related Facility
A separate incident was reported in July at a building in Lower Manhattan that also houses the FBI's New York field office. Authorities said a man protesting ICE ignited a fire and fireworks on the steps of 26 Federal Plaza, according to Reuters. Officials identified the suspect as Andrew Arrabaca, a 43-year-old U.S. Army veteran living in Harlem, who was taken into custody at the scene.
A Federal Protective Service officer who detained the man in that incident sustained minor injuries, and two other people were lightly injured, Reuters reported. The Department of Homeland Security has separately pointed to what it describes as a sharp rise in violence against ICE personnel nationwide, citing statistics it says show a more than 1,300% increase in assaults and a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks against ICE law enforcement officers.
No suspect, arrest or motive has been publicly identified in connection with Tuesday's incident in Atlanta, and it remains unclear whether the device caused any damage to the building. Hoodline will update this story as police and federal investigators release more information.
