New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander arrested at immigration court
Last edited Tue Jun 17, 2025, 05:06 PM - Edit history (2)
Source: The Guardian
Tue 17 Jun 2025 16.43 EDT
First published on Tue 17 Jun 2025 12.49 EDT
Brad Lander, New York Citys comptroller and a mayoral candidate, was arrested on Tuesday by masked federal agents while visiting an immigration court and accompanying a person out of a courtroom. In a statement to the Guardian, assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security said Lander was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer. Lander appeared at 26 Federal Plaza to observe immigration hearings involving individuals marked for potential deportation.
He reportedly told an AP reporter that he was there to accompany some immigrants out of the building. Tuesdays trip to an immigration court was Landers third over the last month. He was arrested, according to video footage of the incident, as he and his staff walked with an immigrant who Lander later identified as Edgardo who had their case dismissed pending appeal earlier in the day, per AMNY. Lander can be seen and heard in videos of the incident asking the immigration officials if they have a judicial warrant. Additional footage of the arrest shows Lander telling the officials: Im not obstructing. Im standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant.
Lander appears to be holding on to Edgardos shoulder as the officials move him towards an elevator. I will let go when you show me the judicial warrant, says Lander. The officials, two of whom were wearing masks, then pinned Lander to a wall and put him in handcuffs. You dont have the authority to arrest US citizens asking for a judicial warrant, Lander can be heard saying. Immigration lawyers told the New York Times that officials do not need judicial warrants to make arrests in immigration courts because they are public spaces.
Landers wife posted an update on her husbands X account less than an hour after the incident took place. Hi, this is Meg Barnette, Brads wife, she wrote, adding: 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.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/17/brad-lander-arrested-new-york-city-comptroller
Article updated.
From 25m ago
16.37 EDT
Lander released from federal custody
New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was just released from federal custody and was seen leaving the federal building in lower Manhattan with his wife, Meg Barnette, and New York governor Kathy Hochul. He is now addressing the media outside.
Lander says hes fine, the non-profit newsroom The City reports. I will be fine but Edgardo will not be fine, he says in reference to the man taken by Ice outside an immigration courtroom earlier. Lander was detained for insisting that the Ice agenst show a judicial warrant authorizing that immigrants arrest
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Previous articles/headline -
First published on Tue 17 Jun 2025 12.49 EDT
Brad Lander, New York City's comptroller and a mayoral candidate, was arrested by masked federal agents while visiting an immigration court and accompanying a person out of a courtroom. In a statement to the Guardian, assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security said Lander "was arrested 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."
On Tuesday, Lander appeared at 26 Federal Plaza to observe immigration hearings involving individuals marked for potential deportation. Lander reportedly told an AP reporter that he was there to "accompany" some immigrants out of the building. Tuesday's trip to an immigration court was Lander's third trip over the last month.
He was arrested, according to video footage of the incident, as he and his staff walked with an immigrant who had their case dismissed pending appeal earlier in the day, per AMNY. The immigrant Lander was walking out of the courtroom with was also arrested. Additional footage of the arrest shows Lander telling immigration officials: "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. The officials, two of whom were wearing masks, then pinned Lander to a wall and put him in handcuffs.
Lander's wife posted an update on her husband's X account less than an hour after the incident took place. "Hi, this is Meg Barnette, Brad's wife," she wrote, adding: "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 echoed the remarks from Barnette in a statement to the Guardian. Immigration and Customs enforcement (Ice) did not immediately respond to the Guardian's request for comment.
Tue 17 Jun 2025 12.49 EDT
Last modified on Tue 17 Jun 2025 13.16 EDT
New York City's comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander has been arrested by masked federal agents while visiting an immigration court and accompanying a person out of a courtroom. Lander's campaign spokesperson confirmed to Fox5NY that Lander was indeed arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) at immigration court. On Tuesday, Lander appeared at 26 Federal Plaza to observe immigration hearings involving individuals marked for potential deportation.
Lander reportedly told an AP reporter that he was there to "accompany" some immigrants out of the building. He was arrested, according to video footage of the incident, as he and his staff walked with an immigrant who had their case dismissed pending appeal earlier in the day, per AMNY. The immigrant Lander was walking out of the courtroom with was also arrested.
Additional footage of the arrest shows Lander telling immigration officials: "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. The officials then pinned Lander to a wall and put him in handcuffs. It remains unclear why he was arrested.
Lander's wife posted an update on her husband's X account less than an hour after the incident took place. "Hi, this is Meg Barnette, Brad's wife," she wrote, adding: "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 echoed the remarks from Barnette in a statement to the Guardian. Video and news of the arrest made the rounds on social media almost immediately after it happened.
Last modified on Tue 17 Jun 2025 13.06 EDT
New York City's comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander has been arrested by masked federal agents while visiting an immigration court. Lander's campaign spokesperson confirmed to Fox5NY that Lander was indeed arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) at immigration court.
On Tuesday, Lander appeared at 26 Federal Plaza to observe immigration hearings involving individuals marked for potential deportation. He was arrested, according to video footage of the incident, as he and his staff walked with an immigrant who was being seized by federal agents. Earlier in the day, the immigrant had their case dismissed pending appeal, per AMNY.
Additional footage of the arrest shows Lander telling immigration officials: "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. The officials then pinned Lander to a wall and put him in handcuffs. It remains unclear why he was arrested.
Lander's wife posted an update on her husband's X account less than an hour after the incident took place."Hi, this is Meg Barnette, Brad's wife," she wrote, adding: "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." Video and news of the arrest made the rounds on social media almost immediately after it happened.
Original article -
Last modified on Tue 17 Jun 2025 12.50 EDT
New York City's comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander has been arrested by masked federal agents while visiting an immigration court.
Lander's campaign spokesperson confirmed to Fox5NY that Lander was indeed arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) at immigration court.
On Tuesday, Lander appeared at 26 Federal Plaza to observe immigration hearings involving individuals marked for potential deportation.
He was arrested, according to video footage of the incident, as he and his staff walked with an immigrant who was being seized by federal agents. Earlier in the day, the immigrant had their case dismissed pending appeal, per AMNY.
More details soon ...

no_hypocrisy
(52,359 posts)UpInArms
(53,148 posts)You dont have the authority to arrest US citizens asking for a judicial warrant, Lander can be heard saying.
The officials then pinned Lander to a wall and put him in handcuffs. It remains unclear why he was arrested.
Video and news of the arrest made the rounds on social media almost immediately after it happened.
Mehdi Hasan, Zeteo founder and Guardian contributor, slammed the move on X as yet another elected Democratic official violently arrested and detained by Trumps ICE Gestapo. This isnt frog in boiling water. This fascism is happening quickly, clearly, brazenly.
Sound a lot like fascism to me
dweller
(26,855 posts)

✌🏻
LudwigPastorius
(12,974 posts)It's beginning to look a lot like 1933.
SunImp
(2,519 posts)
mackdaddy
(1,798 posts)This is going to escalate further until some of these people actually face responsibility for their illegal actions.
Fil1957
(145 posts)crap NOW and every day hereafter. This bullshit has to end immediately. Democrats' voices need to be loud and persistent. We cannot allow this type of behavior to become normalized.
GiqueCee
(2,577 posts)... have the stature and gravitas for newsworthy condemnation of these Nazi traitors are too busy clutching their pearls to risk endangering their reelection prospects by inviting the wrath of the South End of a Northbound Yak. Don't know where the Dems are.
DENVERPOPS
(13,003 posts)should be in there raising daily holy hell..................but, oh wait,....... he is busy campaigning full time for Colorado Governor
And not really sure where our other Colorado Dem Senator Hickenlooper is these day.......
The only Colorado Politican we hear much out of these days is BangBangBoebert.......but she is a Republican......
ananda
(32,612 posts)That is a very bad thing.
wolfie001
(5,740 posts)I wonder if AIPAC has warned him to "zip it"
ananda
(32,612 posts)Not good.
moonshinegnomie
(3,532 posts)we need stronger action...
a national strike would be a good first step.
having local police start arresting ICE agents and locking them up would also be a good start
Time to fight back with none lethal effect ..!
LetMyPeopleVote
(166,563 posts)ffr
(23,208 posts)Since this type of thing is going on in broad daylight.