Who is Nicholas Scelfo? Brooklyn man arrested for threatening to kill ICE agent and his family; Kash Patel speaks out

Nicholas Scelfo was arrested after Nick Sortor's footage captured his threat against an ICE agent and his family during protests at Delaney Hall.

Published on: May 31, 2026, 14:59:35 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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A Brooklyn man has been arrested after independent journalist Nick Sortor's footage captured his threat against an ICE agent and his family during protests at Delaney Hall, triggered by a hunger strike from about 300 detainees over spoiled food, poor medical care, and bad ventilation. FBI Director Kash Patel shared the news on X.

Who is Nicholas Scelfo? Brooklyn man arrested for threatening to kill ICE agent and his family (@nicksortor/X)

“Touch a cop and this FBI will put you down - thanks to @nicksortor for the video we used facial recognition technology and @FBI arrested a subject within 24 hours,” Patel wrote.

The suspect has been identified as Nicholas Scelfo in social media posts and by RightLine. Patel shared the RightLine story on X.

The FBI told RightLine that after receiving the video, the FBI used facial recognition technology to identify the suspect. The arrest effort was led by the field office in Newark, along with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. The arrest was made within 24 hours of identifying the subject, according to the FBI.

Who is Nicholas Scelfo?

Scelfo was attending a protest when Sortor caught him on video outside Delaney Hall in Newark, saying, “Your children, your wife, all dead. I have your face, motherf***er. You’re dead. Dead.”

Scelfo made the comment on the evening of May 28, pointing directly at ICE agents while making the threats.

“Told you. @FBI just arrested the man who threatened to kill ICE officers and their families. FAFO,” Blanche wrote on X.

“This individual threatened violence toward one of our federal law enforcement officers and their family – and by using facial recognition technology, within 24 hours this FBI got him,” Patel said. “In particular I want to thank Acting AG Todd Blanche who moved extremely quickly to locate, pursue, and bring the subject to justice – as well as our FBI Newark team who executed brilliantly.”

“Let this be a message to any criminal actor who may try something similar: You touch a cop, and this FBI will put you down,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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