A federal office building in New York City was evacuated after employees found an envelope containing white powder.
New York City firefighters received a call about the suspicious material at around 3.55pm, and fire crews and police officers soon rushed to the scene of 26 Federal Plaza, The Hill reports.
The building houses the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office as well as the Department of Homeland Security, though it is unclear if the suspicious envelope was directed at either office, CBS News reports.
Officials quickly evacuated the building and there were no immediate reports of anyone feeling ill, according to NBC 4 New York.
Hazmat teams now remain at the building while test results are pending, and city officials are asking residents to avoid the area as the investigation continues.
The federal building has been the site of several protests last week, after civil rights groups claimed detainees housed at the ICE facility are not provided with sufficient access to their lawyers or medications, and are forced to endure extreme temperatures.
A federal office building containing New York City’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement office was evacuated on Thursday
It is unclear whether the white powder was directed at federal immigration officials. Protesters are pictured outside last week
