New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested Tuesday at a federal immigration court in Manhattan after linking arms with an immigrant whom federal agents were attempting to detain. The dramatic moment was captured on video as multiple agents surrounded and handcuffed Lander in a courthouse hallway, drawing national attention and swift condemnation from fellow Democrats.
Lander, who had been observing hearings earlier in the day, told reporters that he was at the court to “accompany” immigrants as they exited the building—a gesture of solidarity amid ongoing mass immigration arrests under the Trump administration. When agents attempted to separate Lander from the man being detained, he resisted, keeping his arms locked with the individual for over 40 seconds before agents physically pulled them apart.
“You’re obstructing,” an agent said, to which Lander replied, “I’m not obstructing, I’m standing right here in the hallway.” As he was led away in handcuffs, he added, “You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens asking for a judicial warrant.”
The Department of Homeland Security later issued a statement claiming Lander was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer. Lander, released after a few hours, denied those allegations and maintained he had done nothing more than link arms with the detainee. “I certainly did not assault anyone,” he said. “I’m fine. I lost a button. That’s about it.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing the incident and has not yet decided whether to file charges.
Lander’s arrest comes amid a wave of large-scale immigration enforcement actions near courtrooms across the country. Critics argue that immigrants are being arrested immediately after their cases are dismissed in court, making them vulnerable to expedited removal without further due process. “They remove any opportunity for due process,” Lander told reporters earlier in the day.
His arrest also follows a similar incident last month involving Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was taken into custody outside a federal detention facility in New Jersey. Charges against him were later dropped, but his congressional ally Rep. LaMonica McIver now faces federal charges stemming from the same protest. Baraka has since filed a lawsuit alleging false arrest and malicious prosecution.
The timing of Lander’s arrest is especially significant, as he is in the final stretch of the Democratic mayoral primary, with early voting already underway and election day just a week away. Several candidates and party leaders have publicly denounced the arrest. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called it “extreme thuggery” by Trump’s ICE and voiced concern for immigrant families living in fear. Governor Kathy Hochul also condemned the incident in blunt terms and later appeared at the courthouse in a show of support.
Elsewhere in the country, tensions over immigration enforcement have also intensified. Last week, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a press conference hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles as he attempted to raise concerns about the raids. On Tuesday, he urged Americans to speak out more forcefully against these federal actions.
The arrest of a leading Democratic candidate at a courthouse during a peaceful act of civil disobedience has further deepened the divide between state and federal approaches to immigration enforcement—turning the issue into a flashpoint just as voters head to the polls.