New York City Comptroller and current mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested on Tuesday by federal agents during a tense scene at an immigration court in Manhattan.
As seen in a video posted on X by Collin Rugg, Lander was involved in a scuffle with ICE agents as he tried to hold on to an illegal immigrant who was being escorted away by the agents.
“I would like to see the warrant, and I will let go,” Landers repeatedly says in the video.
“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 a U.S. citizen asking for a judicial warrant,” Lander said.
According to a report by Fox 5 New York, federal agents viewed Lander’s actions as an effort to block legal enforcement of immigration laws.
The confrontation was captured on video by journalist Dean Moses and quickly circulated online with some viral responses by both the right and the left.
This incident occurred just one day after a similar arrest in Texas. ICE agents arrested three illegal aliens outside a southwest Houston immigration court on Monday, shortly after their asylum claims were dismissed, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The initiative is part of a country-wide effort to speed up deportations.
Lander, a Democrat known for his outspoken opposition to ICE operations, has built part of his mayoral campaign on boosting support for sanctuary city policies and limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
According to Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, Lander was arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer.
“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,” she said in a written statement, Reuters reported.
Lander denied the charges, stating, “I certainly did not assault an officer.”
Hours later, Lander was released from federal custody. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul held a press conference to announce that charges against Lander had been dropped.
However, the Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said that the investigation remains active and cited concerns about the safety of judicial proceedings.