NYC Mayoral Hopeful Brad Lander Arrested by ICE at Immigration Court

On June 17, 2025, New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral contender Brad Lander was arrested by ICE agents at the federal immigration courthouse at 26 Federal Plaza, Manhattan. Lander had escorted a migrant, identified as Edgardo, out of court when he confronted ICE agents, asking repeatedly for a judicial warrant, asserting their lack of authority

Video footage captured Lander linking arms with the immigrant and challenging agents:
Do you have a judicial warrant? … You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens.”

ICE detained Lander—alleging he impeded and assaulted federal officers—handcuffing him in the hallway and forcing him into an elevator

Context & Political Significance

Lander, trailing third in the Democratic primary behind Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani, participated in a wave of elected officials challenging aggressive immigration enforcement tactics by the Trump administration
He joins a list of officials—including Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. LaMonica McIver, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka—who were detained during confrontations with ICE or DHS agents

Lander’s arrest is likely to fuel debates on sanctuary city protections, immigrant due process, and the role of local leaders in resisting federal immigration enforcement.