New York City’s comptroller and mayoral candidate, Brad Lander, was arrested by masked federal agents while he was visiting an immigration court. This incident occurred as he was accompanying an individual out of a courtroom. Lander's campaign spokesperson confirmed the arrest to Fox5NY, stating that he was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during his visit to the immigration court.
On Tuesday, Lander attended immigration hearings at 26 Federal Plaza to observe proceedings involving individuals at risk of deportation. According to reports, he was there to “accompany” immigrants exiting the building. Footage from the incident shows that Lander was arrested while he and his staff were assisting an immigrant whose case had been dismissed pending appeal earlier that day, as reported by AMNY.
The immigrant who Lander was helping at the time of the arrest was also detained by federal agents. Additional video evidence reveals Lander confronting the immigration officials, stating, “I’m not obstructing. I’m standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant. You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens asking for a judicial warrant.” Following this exchange, officials subdued Lander against a wall and placed him in handcuffs. As of now, the specific reasons for his arrest remain unclear.
Less than an hour after the incident, Lander's wife, Meg Barnette, shared an update on her husband’s situation via her account on X, formerly known as Twitter. She wrote, “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.” Lander’s team subsequently echoed her sentiments in a statement to The Guardian.
The arrest quickly gained traction on social media, with many public figures expressing their outrage. Zohran Mamdani, a fellow mayoral candidate who endorsed Lander, took to X to denounce the arrest, stating, “This is fascism, and all New Yorkers must speak in one voice. Release him now.” Similarly, Mehdi Hasan, founder of Zeteo and a contributor to The Guardian, expressed his dismay, labeling the incident as “yet another elected Democratic official violently arrested and detained by Trump’s ICE Gestapo.”
Texas congressman Greg Casar also weighed in, asserting that the arrest of Lander by masked federal agents was outrageous. He emphasized that Lander was merely asking, “Do you have a warrant?” in defense of fundamental rights. “Brad should be released immediately, and we should all follow his heroic example,” he stated.
New York state senator Julia Salazar condemned the arrest as further evidence of ICE agents violating the law. She affirmed, “Lander knows his rights, and he was speaking up for the rights of others. ICE agents responded by unlawfully arresting him and refusing to answer basic questions.”
Lander’s arrest occurs amidst a troubling trend, as federal immigration officials have ramped up arrests outside immigration courtrooms nationwide. According to The Guardian, there has been an alarming 807% increase in arrests of immigrants without criminal records between early January and June. This incident bears a stark resemblance to the arrest of Alex Padilla, a Democratic senator from California, who was forcibly removed while attempting to ask questions at a press conference in Los Angeles just last week. Much like the backlash against Lander's arrest, Padilla's detainment drew widespread condemnation, with former vice-president Kamala Harris calling it “a shameful and stunning abuse of power.”
