NYC official Brad Lander arrested by ICE agents
A reporter from The CITY, a nonprofit news outlet, first recorded the incident at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. Lander is the city's top financial officer and a candidate for mayor.
In a statement, Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Lander's campaign, said Lander had been escorting a defendant out of immigration court. He was taken by masked agents and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"This is still developing and we are monitoring the situation closely," Pekec said in a statement.
In an emailed statement, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said Lander "was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer."
DHS didn't respond to a question about whether Lander has been formally charged.
McLaughlin said it was wrong for politicians seeking higher office to undermine law enforcement safety for a "viral moment."
"No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences," she said.
The incident comes amid increasing federal immigration enforcement in New York's immigration courts and elsewhere across the country, as people show up for hearings or check-ins with immigration officials. On June 15, President Donald Trump directed ICE to increase its efforts to detain and deport migrants in Democratic-run cities. Sweeping immigration enforcement has triggered mass protests in cities across the country.
Video posted to social media showed a crowded hallway, where Lander was seen holding the man being escorted by a few masked immigration agents. Lander could be seen repeatedly asking for a judicial warrant.
At a certain point, agents pulled Lander aside, separating him from the man. Agents pushed him against a wall and cuffed him.
"You don't have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens," Lander said.
He was then whisked away into an elevator, including with his New York City police detail, video showed.
Democratic officials throughout NYC and the state swiftly condemned Lander's arrest.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the front-runner in the mayoral race, said in a statement that ICE's conduct was the result of Mayor Eric Adams "handing over the keys of our great city over to Donald Trump."
Adams, a former Democrat, faced federal corruption charges until the Justice Department dropped the case against him. Trump administration officials said the charges interfered with Adams' ability to enact the Trump administration's immigration priorities. The mayor has denied that any quid pro quo took place.
"Comptroller Brad Lander was doing absolutely nothing wrong when he was illegally detained, and he must be released now," Cuomo said.
Adams' office didn't immediately respond to an email request for comment.
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a Democrat running in the crowded primary, said on X that Lander's detention was "unacceptable and an abuse of power."
"This is profoundly unacceptable," New York State Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. "Arresting Comptroller Lander for the simple act of standing up for immigrants and their civil rights is a shocking abuse of power."
Both the New York Civil Liberties Union and the New York Immigration Coalition, which have opposed the Trump administration's sweeping enforcement tactics, criticized agents detaining Lander.
"It sends an unmistakably authoritarian message - that ICE doesn't care about the rule of law and that anyone exercising their right to challenge ICE and speak up for immigrants will be punished," Donna Lieberman, executive director of NYCLU, said in a statement.
In the afternoon, several New York City officials, including those in the upcoming June 24 primary election, demonstrated outside the federal building, calling for Lander's release.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
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