Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said that her department is working with New York authorities to secure New York City after an attempted bombing there Monday morning.
"The Department of Homeland Security is taking appropriate action to protect our people and our country in the wake of today's attempted terrorist attack in New York City," Nielsen said in a statement. "We will continue to assist New York authorities with the response and investigation and we urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity."
Nielsen also noted that she spoke to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Police Department commissioner James O'Neill about the incident before sending a warning to terrorists who may want to harm the United States.
"The enemy we face is persistent and adaptive," the Department of Homeland Security chief said. "But they should know this: Americans will not be coerced by terrorism, and we will not allow it to become the new normal. We will fight back aggressively and bring terrorists to justice."
Nielson, who was sworn in as secretary of homeland security last week, added that the Trump administration is adopting "significant security measures to keep terrorists from entering our country and from recruiting within our borders."
According to police, 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, an immigrant from Bangladesh who lived in Brooklyn and is now in custody, had a suicide-bomb vest that detonated prematurely at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, a block from Times Square and one of the busiest commuter hubs. No one was killed in the incident.
De Blasio said the failed bombing was "an attempted terrorist attack."