NYC Mayoral Candidate Arrested
Brad Lander, New York City’s comptroller and a current candidate in the upcoming Democratic mayoral primary, was arrested Tuesday after an altercation with federal immigration officers at a Manhattan courthouse.
The incident occurred inside the immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza and has quickly become a political flashpoint just days before voters head to the polls.
According to eyewitness accounts and video footage, Lander physically intervened as ICE agents attempted to detain a man following an immigration hearing. The man, reportedly an illegal migrant whose asylum case had just been dismissed, was being escorted away when Lander confronted the agents, demanding to see a judicial warrant.
Lander grabbed the man by the shoulder and refused to release him, telling officers, “I will let go when you show me the judicial warrant. Where is it?” The standoff ended when an ICE officer gave the command to “Take him in,” and Lander was forcibly separated from the man and placed under arrest.
Hi, this is Meg Barnette, Brad’s wife.
While escorting a defendant out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, Brad was taken by masked agents and detained by ICE.
This is still developing, and our team is monitoring the situation closely. pic.twitter.com/jekaDFjsT1
— Brad Lander (@bradlander) June 17, 2025
While being handcuffed, Lander asserted, “You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens,” and insisted he was not obstructing officers. He was later detained for several hours and charged with assault and obstruction of federal agents. Those charges were subsequently dropped, and Lander exited the courthouse with his wife and Governor Kathy Hochul.
This is not the first time Lander has attended hearings at the immigration court. He and others have reportedly made regular appearances, forming human barriers to prevent ICE officers from detaining individuals facing deportation. His wife, Meg Barnette, confirmed that on Tuesday, he had linked arms with the migrant before the arrest.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a sharp rebuke. A spokesperson cited a 413% increase in assaults on ICE officers and warned that political figures “seeking a viral moment” should not undermine law enforcement.
“No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences,” the statement read.