By Democrats are once again reminding the public about “the Americans they really care about.” Brad Lander, the city comptroller and a candidate for mayor of New York City, was detained Tuesday by masked federal agents at 26 Federal Plaza, igniting a political firestorm over the scope and conduct of federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Lander, a longtime liberal advocate for immigrants, was arrested while accompanying an undocumented defendant out of immigration court—an increasingly common role he has taken up in recent weeks. Video of the incident, which has ricocheted across social media, shows Lander confronting the agents and demanding a judicial warrant—none was produced on the spot because they aren’t needed for deportation arrests.
“While escorting a defendant out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, Brad was taken by masked agents and detained by ICE,” Kat Capossela, Lander’s mayoral campaign press secretary, told NBC News.
Lander claimed he was “observing proceedings at the city’s main immigration courthouse, at 26 Federal Plaza, where an increasing number of migrants who appear for court have been arrested in recent weeks by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.”
Longer video, however, makes it look like he was there to make a show in hopes of boosting his mayoral bid.
He sees the cameras. He then sees ICE Agents He then immediately locks arms.
This video portion is somehow not making the rounds with major media outlets. pic.twitter.com/4p3Y6mS6o2
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) June 17, 2025
The footage shows Lander linking arms with others immediately upon spotting both cameras and ICE agents—an image critics say underscores the performative nature of his civil disobedience. Still, supporters insist the legality of the arrest remains in question, particularly given ICE’s obligation to produce a judicial warrant—something Lander vocally demanded.
His supporters, including several members of the City Council and state legislature, denounced the arrest as a blatant abuse of federal power. “This is fascism,” declared Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who has endorsed Lander’s mayoral run. “It’s an outrageous attack on civil liberties,” added Council Member Greg Casar, who stood outside the courthouse in protest alongside dozens of other officials.
In a statement on social media, DHS said, “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.”
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% increase in assaults against them—it is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement…
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 17, 2025
The episode offers further evidence that Democrats are continuing to radicalize over their support for illegal immigration.
If I locked arms with the target of an arrest and refused to stand down as law enforcement officers were forced to restrain me I’d be charged. But I’m not an elected Democrat who’s really, really angry. Are they all gonna pull this? https://t.co/6tJ86Tx2s3
— David Marcus (@BlueBoxDave) June 17, 2025
Lander’s arrest marks the latest flashpoint in an increasingly aggressive pattern under President Donald Trump’s administration, in which federal authorities have detained, charged, or arrested sitting Democratic officials with growing frequency. Just days earlier, California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed by security agents from a Homeland Security press conference hosted by Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles after he tried to disrupt the cabinet member’s speech.
The previous month, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was taken into custody while demonstrating outside a newly opened ICE facility in his city. Although the charges against Baraka were ultimately dropped, the confrontation escalated: Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver now faces federal assault charges stemming from the same protest.
Baraka filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba this month, accusing her of “false arrest and malicious prosecution” in connection with the incident.
Lander’s campaign “appeared to move quickly to capitalize on his arrest, with his wife, Meg Barnette, posting a video of the episode from Mr. Lander’s official campaign account on social media,” wrote The New York Times.
The newspaper continued by noting that “Ms. Barnette, who was at the courthouse during the arrest, said at a news conference that on Tuesday the couple had witnessed how judges dismissed cases against migrants, most without lawyers, not knowing that the dismissal of their cases would probably lead to their arrest.
She called the practice “absolutely unacceptable.”
‘I feel really rattled and scared, and my husband is a candidate for mayor, is an elected citywide official, is a U.S. citizen, has a U.S. passport, and I know in all likelihood he’s going to be OK,” she said. “All the other folks in that building are risking having their families torn apart with inadequate explanation. It’s an abomination.’”
Lander is not considered a frontrunner in the race.
[Read More: Arnold Shocked ‘View’ Hosts With Comments On Immigration]
