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| N.Y.C. Comptroller Brad Lander is grabbed and arrested at a federal immigration court on June 17. |
AP Photo/Olga Fedorova
By Rachel Raposas
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a leading candidate in the city’s 2025 mayoral race, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in a tense and unexpected confrontation outside a federal immigration courtroom on Tuesday, June 17 — just one week ahead of the Democratic primary.
Lander, who is prominently featured on ballots for the June 24 election, was taken into custody after accompanying an immigrant out of court. According to his campaign and eyewitnesses, Lander had attended the immigration hearing to support individuals facing potential deportation.
A dramatic video of the arrest, filmed by Lander’s wife Meg Barnette and later shared publicly, shows masked agents — some in tactical vests marked "federal agent," others in plain clothes and surgical masks — confronting Lander. The footage captures the comptroller stating, “I’m not obstructing, I’m standing right here in the hallway. You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens asking for a judicial warrant,” moments before being handcuffed.
The specific charges against Lander remain unclear as of Tuesday evening. ICE has not released a formal statement.
According to The Guardian, the person Lander was escorting was also arrested. Lander had reportedly attended immigration court proceedings at least twice prior, supporting immigrants whose legal status was under review.
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| Brad Lander is taken into custody outside a federal immigration court in New York on June 17. |
AP Photo/Olga Fedorova
At a press conference held shortly after the arrest, Barnette recounted the incident: “We were swarmed by a number of federal agents as we left the courtroom. They said, ‘You’re obstructing.’ I was shoved out of the way. What I saw today was shocking and unacceptable. What I saw was not the rule of law.”
The arrest comes during a critical moment in the city’s political calendar. Early voting for the New York City primary began on June 14, and Lander’s name remains on the ballot despite his detainment. The impact of this high-profile arrest on his campaign remains to be seen, though some supporters are already framing the incident as a political flashpoint in the city’s ongoing debate over immigration enforcement and due process.
Lander, a progressive Democrat and vocal advocate for immigrant rights, has served as comptroller since 2022 and is considered one of the frontrunners in the mayoral race.