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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was detained by federal agents Tuesday morning, with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleging he obstructed and assaulted federal agents.
After several hours, during which time Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul branded the arrest "bull****", charges were dropped and Lander was released.
In a video shared on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday,Lander was seen being escorted away by federal agents at an immigration court in Lower Manhattan.
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Lander had reportedly asked to see a warrant for those being detained following a hearing.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek in an emailed statement:"New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer. Our heroic ICE law enforcement officers face a 413 percent increase in assaults against them—it is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement safety to get a viral moment. No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.
Newsweek reached out to Lander's office via email Tuesday afternoon for comment.
Why It Matters
Lander has been a staunch critic of President Donald Trump and his immigration policies. His detention comes after a Democratic member of Congress and a mayor were detained in New Jersey outside an ICE detention center.
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What To Know
Lander, one of multiple Democratic NYC mayoral candidates, was detained after repeatedly asking agents for a judicial warrant for the immigrants they were seeking to arrest.
His wife, Meg Barnette, told reporters outside the court that she was proud of her husband for standing up for immigrants, who were seeing their legal status revoked without fully understanding what was happening.
"What I saw today was not the rule of law," she said.
Barnette said she and her husband were inside a courtroom at 26 Federal Plaza in downtown Manhattan, where a judge "chastised" them for coming into the room.
An immigrant was told his case had been dismissed, Barnette said, and that he had a month to appeal, but federal agents were waiting outside.
Lander and others linked arms with the immigrant and sought to leave the courtroom. Masked agents then claimed Lander and others were obstructing law enforcement, Barnette said.
"You don't have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens," Lander could be heard saying, as an agent cuffed him against a wall. "I'm not obstructing you, I'm standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant."
It was at this point that federal agents led him away into an elevator.
ICE and other federal agents have increasingly been detaining immigrants at their court hearings, prompting protests outside immigration courts, including in New York City.
In the hours which followed Lander's arrest, Democrats at the city, state and federal level expressed their outrage that an elected official could be arrested by federal agents, arguing Lander had simply asked to see a judicial warrant. The charges were dropped, Hochul announced later.
What People Are Saying
New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander told reporters: "At that elevator, I was separated from someone called Edgardo, who I had just met a couple of minutes earlier. Edgardo is in ICE detention and he's not going to sleep in his bed tonight. So far as I know, he has no lawyer. He has been stripped of his due process rights by a government and judge that owe him a credible-fear hearing before they deport him."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters: "You want to know what I really think? It's bull****. How dare they take an elected official who's been going down there for weeks to escort people who are afraid to walk into a courthouse in the United States of America. What the hell is happening to this country?"
New York Attorney General Letitia James, on X: "ICE's arrest of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is a shocking abuse of power. No one should face fear and intimidation in a courthouse, and this administration's continued rampant targeting of New Yorkers makes our communities less safe."
New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, on X: "NYC Comptroller Brad Lander was just arrested by Trump's ICE agents because he asked to see a judicial warrant. This is fascism and all New Yorkers must speak in one voice. Release him now."
Texas Democratic Representative Greg Casar, on X: "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 Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on BlueSky: "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."
What Happens Next
Lander said he believed he was free to go but had an attorney should charges be filed against him.
Update 6/17/25, 2:35 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 6/17/25, 3:50 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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