Politics
WATCH: NYC Mayoral Candidate Arrested By ICE At Immigration Court
Brad Lander, New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate, was taken into custody by federal agents at immigration court on Tuesday. Lander was attempting to escort a man out of court in order to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement from detaining him.
Just moments prior to his detention, Lander had linked his arm with the man as they vacated the immigration courtroom, located on the 12th floor of the building. He refused to let go of the man, defying the orders of federal agents attempting to pull the man away from him.
The scene happened around noon as Lander demanded the agents produce a judicial warrant.
“You do not have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens,” Lander said time and again as the officers tightened a pair of cuffs around his wrists. The agents then shuffled him into a nearby elevator, according to The City.
At the time of this writing, it’s not known what the precise charges are, if the mayoral candidate will face any at all. Agents sporting masks and working for several federal agencies filled the halls of the building, including folks from ICE, the FBI, and the Treasury Department.
BREAKING: New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander arrested by federal agents at immigration court.
According to Fox 5, Lander was trying to escort a man out of court to avoid ICE detention.
“I’m not obstructing I’m standing right here in the hallway, I asked… pic.twitter.com/aZWnz0M5od
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 17, 2025
“While escorting a defendant out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, Brad was taken by masked agents and detained by ICE,” Dora Pekec, Lander’s campaign spokesperson, went on to say in a statement. “This is still developing and we are monitoring the situation closely.”
“Last week federal agents tackled and handcuffed US Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif) when he tried to question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a media event related to immigration. Separately, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) was hit with federal charges stemming from her earlier attempt to visit a privately operated migrant detention facility in Newark,” the report added.
A reporter from The City asked Lander, just a little while after his arrest, why he was inside the immigration court during the last days of the Democratic primary, rather than hitting the streets and talking with voters.
“I don’t think there’s any place that’s more important to be right now than bearing witness and trying to stand up for the rule of law,” Lander responded. “A big question on the campaign trail is How will you stand up to Donald Trump? ‘”
