NYC mayoral candidate Brad Lander arrested by ICE in Manhattan, accused of assaulting an officer
By: Josephine Stratman (New York Daily News)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander is arrested by ICE agents in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Dean Moses / AMNY) By Josephine Stratman | jstratman@nydailynews.com | New York Daily News, Chris Sommerfeldt | csommerfeldt@nydailynews.com | New York Daily News and Molly Crane-Newman | New York Daily NewsUPDATED: June 17, 2025 at 3:26 PM EDT
ICE agents arrested New York City Comptroller Brad Lander in a lower Manhattan courthouse Tuesday as he sought to observe immigration proceedings amid the Trump administration's controversial "mass deportation" crackdown, with federal officials accusing him of assaulting an officer.
It wasn't immediately clear if Lander — whose arrest drew immediate and widespread condemnation — would actually be arraigned on assault charges, but a federal court source said preparations were underway for him to potentially appear before a judge later Tuesday.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for President Trump's Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement Lander "was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer" at Manhattan's 26 Federal Plaza, where asylum cases are heard.
"It is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement safety to get a viral moment," McLaughlin's statement said. "No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences."
Lander, a leading candidate in next week's Democratic mayoral primary, could be seen in video provided by his team getting surrounded by a group of masked ICE agents who pressed him up against a wall and handcuffed him on the 12th floor of 26 Federal Plaza, where asylum cases are heard.
"I'm not obstructing, I'm standing right here in the hallway, I asked to see the judicial warrant," Lander can be heard saying in the video as the agents cuff him. "You don't have authority to arrest a U.S. citizen asking for a judicial warrant."
"Where are you taking the comptroller?" one of Lander's aides can be heard shouting at the agents as they take him into an elevator and disappear.
Lander campaign spokeswoman Dora Pekec said in a statement her boss was at 26 Federal Plaza "escorting a defendant out of immigration court" when the ICE agents detained him.
"This is still developing and we are monitoring the situation closely," Pekec said.
New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander is arrested by ICE agents in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Dean Moses / AMNY)
Lander's whereabouts were not immediately known after his arrest.
Within minutes of his arrest, the comptroller's wife, supporters and local elected officials gathered outside 26 Federal Plaza, chanting, "Free Brad Lander," and excoriating his detainment.
"I am extraordinarily proud of my husband for so many reasons, never more so than today," his wife Meg Barnette said before adding she's confident he will be fine while voicing worry that "all of the other folks in that building are risking having their families torn apart … it's an abomination and it is not what we stand for in this country."
Several of Lander's opponents in next Tuesday's Democratic mayoral primary also came to his defense, including runner-up candidate Zohran Mamdani, who showed up outside 26 Federal Plaza and said the comptroller's arrest shows ICE "only has an interest in terrorizing people."
Andrew Cuomo, the frontrunner in the Democratic mayoral race who has been a harsh critic of Lander, said the comptroller did "absolutely nothing wrong" and laid some blame on Mayor Adams.
"Make no mistake: this kind of conduct is the direct result of Mayor Eric Adams handing the keys of our great City over to Donald Trump," Cuomo said in a statement, a reference to the Trump administration's highly controversial dismissal of the incumbent's corruption indictment.
The mayor declined to comment when asked about Lander's arrest at City Hall on Tuesday afternoon.
As part of the federal government's ramped up deportation efforts, ICE agents have been detaining migrants at the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan for the last several weeks.
In a controversial maneuver, ICE agents have swept up migrants with pending asylum cases during routine check-ins at the courthouses after Trump administration officials have asked judges to dismiss their applications, making them subject to deportations.
New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander is arrested by ICE agents in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Dean Moses / AMNY)
The tactics have stoked outrage, and Lander is among a number of local elected officials who have appeared at the courthouse to observe the proceedings and assist migrants.
New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander is arrested by ICE agents in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Dean Moses / AMNY) Originally Published: June 17, 2025 at 12:42 PM EDT
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Let hope this piece of shit gets to serve time with the murderers and rapists he is trying to protect.
Remember - Nobody is above the law.
You assault law enforcement, you're going to be arrested.
I guess they are hoping that partisan juries will let them off.
It’s the New Democratic campaign strategy. Get arrested to show how committed to rebellion you are.
They just keep playing to the same base.
BTW, I think the census should only count citizens.