New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested on Tuesday by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. He was escorting a defendant out of immigration court, his wife said in a statement.
“While escorting a defendant out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, Brad was taken by masked agents and detained by ICE,” Lander’s wife, Meg Barnette, wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
“This is still developing, and our team is monitoring the situation closely,” Barnette added. The ICE has not issued a statement about the arrest yet. In a video posted on social media, Brad Lander can be seen standing outside a courtroom when a few officers approached him. They were wearing masks.
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In one video, an agent can be seen telling Lander, “You’re obstructing.”
“I’m not obstructing, I’m standing right here in the hallway,” Lander said as he was being handcuffed.
“You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens asking for a judicial warrant,” Lander said as he was led away down a hallway and into an elevator.
Lander can then be seen asking officers to show him a judicial warrant. However, he is taken out of the room. The NYC Comptroller is in custody as of Tuesday afternoon, his wife said.
“I am just very aware of how I feel right now watching Brad being taken away and that it’s going to be ok, and for all of those other families in there, they can’t say that,” she said.
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Lander is a candidate in next week’s Democratic primary for New York City mayor.
Reacting to the comptroller’s arrest, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said: “ICE just arrested Brad Lander, the NYC Comptroller and one of the leading candidates for Mayor, without grounds. He was conducting routine immigration court work, escorting individuals from hearings. He asked ICE for their warrant – well within his legal rights. This is political intimidation.”
