Brad Lander, New York City’s comptroller and current mayoral hopeful, was taken into custody by masked federal agents while accompanying an individual out of an immigration courtroom.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, confirmed the arrest to the Guardian, stating Lander was taken in for “assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer.”
“Our heroic Ice law enforcement officers face a 413% increase in assaults against them – it is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement safety to get a viral moment,” said McLaughlin. “No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.”
Lander had been at 26 Federal Plaza on Tuesday to observe immigration proceedings for individuals facing deportation.
Speaking with an Associated Press journalist, Lander explained that his purpose was to “accompany” certain immigrants exiting the building. This was his third visit to the courthouse in recent weeks.
According to AMNY, video from the incident shows Lander walking with an immigrant whose case had been dismissed earlier that day but remained under appeal. The individual was also arrested alongside him.
In the footage, Lander can be seen confronting federal agents, 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 US citizens asking for a judicial warrant,” Lander can be heard saying.
Agents, some with their faces covered, restrained Lander against a wall before placing him in handcuffs. The exact justification for his arrest remains unclear.
Shortly after the arrest, Lander’s wife, Meg Barnette, posted from his X account.
“Hi, this is Meg Barnette, Brad’s wife,” she wrote. “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.”
His campaign team issued a similar statement to the Guardian, reiterating the events as described by Barnette.
ICE has yet to respond to the Guardian’s inquiry for comment.
Later, at a press conference, Barnette expressed outrage at her husband’s arrest and praised his commitment.
“What I saw was shocking and unacceptable. What I saw today was not the rule of law,” she told reporters.
“This is a place where the rule of law is supposed to work. I was able to call our attorney and retain him immediately for Brad,” she said.
“Because we have the connections and the means to do so. Nobody else in those courtrooms has that. I am confident that Brad’s going to be out soon … This is just one more example of Brad’s values in actions. He doesn’t just talk the talk. He walks the walk. He cares about what happens to people.”
Reporters at the scene noted the presence of federal officers from ICE, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the FBI, and the Treasury Department throughout 26 Federal Plaza on Tuesday morning.
Footage of Lander being detained rapidly spread online, triggering a wave of backlash.
Zohran Mamdani, another mayoral candidate who has endorsed Lander, condemned the arrest on X: “This is fascism and all New Yorkers must speak in one voice. Release him now.”
Mehdi Hasan, founder of Zeteo and a contributor to the Guardian, echoed that sentiment: “Yet another elected Democratic official violently arrested and detained by Trump’s ICE Gestapo. This isn’t frog in boiling water. This fascism is happening quickly, clearly, brazenly.”
Texas Congressman Greg Casar issued a strong rebuke: “Masked federal agents just illegally arrested New York City’s elected Comptroller. Outrageous. The Trump Administration went after Brad Lander for asking this simple question: ‘Do you have a warrant?’ By asking this question, Brad was standing up for the basic rights of all Americans. Brad should be released immediately, and we should all follow his heroic example.”
New York State Senator Julia Salazar said the incident was “more evidence that Ice agents are flagrantly breaking the law.”
“[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,” she said.
Speaking at the same press event as Barnette, Mamdani told the crowd: “We have to be clear that, in [Lander’s] ask and in their response, we saw that Ice has no interest in the law, it has no interest in order.”
“[Ice] only has an interest in terrorizing people across this country. In this exact moment, New Yorkers and Americans are looking to leaders to meet this moment, to showcase the courage that is necessary … He showed us what leadership can look like and for that he was arrested.”
He continued: “We have to be clear about this. This is not about an election. This is about ensuring that we protect the city and the country that we love. This is about ensuring that immigrant New Yorkers who come here for regular check-ins do not need to fear being separated from their families in the most brutal and cruel ways imaginable. We know that today’s arrest is but one example of what Ice is doing every single day across this country.”
The arrest happened amid a sharp uptick in federal apprehensions of undocumented individuals outside immigration courts. As the Guardian previously reported, there has been an 807% spike in arrests of immigrants with no criminal background since early January.
Lander’s arrest mirrors a recent incident involving Senator Alex Padilla of California, who was forcibly detained while attempting to question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a press conference in Los Angeles.
The Padilla incident, like Lander’s, drew widespread condemnation. Kamala Harris, the former vice president, labeled it “a shameful and stunning abuse of power.”
This latest development arrives just one week before the Democratic mayoral primary. Lander is competing against Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, and other challengers for the nomination.
{Matzav.com}
