Brad Lander Arrested by ICE Agents, But Charges Later Dropped
City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running in the Democratic primary for mayor, was attempting to stay connected to an unidentified migrant in a hallway at 26 Federal Plaza outside immigration court. The migrant was also taken into custody.
| 17 Jun 2025 | 04:59
NYC Comptroller as he is handcuffed by ICE agents at 26 Federal Plaza in downtown Manhattan June 17. Homeland security later claimed he was (
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City Comptroller Brad Lander is handcuffed by ICE agents who were taking a migrant into custody after a court hearing. Lander had accompanied the migrant and was attempting to link arms with the migrant as he demanded to see a judicial warrant. (
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Lander (left) is attempting to stay connected to a migrant (center) who just had his case dismissed in criminal court but who was being taken into custody by ICE agents in a hallway at 26 Federal Plaza. (
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City comptroller Brad Lander was seized by ICE outside immigration court Manhattan on June 17 as he accompanied a migrant that the agents were trying to seize after he emerged from a court hearing.
Someone can be heard saying, “step back guys, step back,” according to video posted on X.
“Show me your warrant, show me your badge,” Lander said as he linked arms with a migrant who had just emerged from a court hearing where his case was dismissed.
“I will let go if you show me a judicial warrant,” said Lander who is running in the Democratic primary for mayor and has been a frequent observer of immigration agent proceedings in recent weeks. “I would like to see the warrant, and then I will let go.”
But immigration agents forcibly separated the unidentified migrant and then shoved Lander against a wall and handcuffed him. “You don’t have the authority to arrest a US citizens,” Lander said. “I’m not obstructing, I am standing right here in the hallway. ... You don’t have the authority to arrest US citizens asking for a judicial warrant.”
Homeland security released a statement on X in which it claimed that Lander “was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer...It is wrong that a politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement.”
But Lander was reportedly released from ICE custody and charges dropped later that day.
The news erupted just as Mayor Adams was ending his weekly press briefing at City Hall. Earlier, Adams had said in the briefing that he would bar Daily News reporter Chris Sommerfeldt from future press briefings, because Adams felt the reporter was breaking the two-question protocol that the Mayor imposes on the off the record press briefings and was shouting additional questions. Adams said to his aides that they were to instruct security to block Sommerfeldt from future briefings. The reporter was allowed to stay at the weekly press briefing that was close to ending.
As Adams strode away at the end of the weekly off topic press briefing, phones began erupting that Lander had been arrested. Sommerfeldt gave it one more shot with a shouted question with a recorder running, trying to get a reaction from Adams on the seizure of Lander by ICE. Adams who was already heading to the door did not stop to answer the question.