In yet another example of woke Democrats obstructing justice, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested New York City Comptroller and Democrat mayoral candidate Brad Lander after he reportedly tried to protect an illegal immigrant from being detained in an incident similar to the case of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan.
For context, on Tuesday, June 16, 2025, Brad Lander reportedly arrived at a Manhattan federal immigration courthouse to observe hearings. According to press accounts, Lander followed an illegal immigrant out of the courtroom, walking arm-in-arm with him before being arrested by ICE agents.
As reported by AmNY’s Dean Moses, who was at the courthouse at the time, Lander was approached by ICE agents, who attempted to separate him from the illegal immigrant. In response, the NYC official shouted, “Show me your warrant, show me your badge.” He added, “I will let go if you show me a judicial warrant. I would like to see the warrant, and then I will let go.”
In response, one of the ICE personnel on the scene said, “Take him in,” and forced Lander up against a wall, putting him in handcuffs before taking him out of the room. Lander protested, saying, “You don’t have the authority to arrest US citizens.” He continued, “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.”
After the incident, a spokesperson for Lander told AmNY that the NYC official’s case was “still developing,” saying, “While escorting a defendant out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, Brad Lander was taken by masked agents and detained by ICE.” The spokesperson added, “We are monitoring the situation closely.”
Moreover, in a statement to CBS News, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that Lander was arrested for impeding a federal officer, adding, “Our heroic ICE law enforcement officers face a 413% increase in assaults against them — 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.”
Furthermore, Lander was reportedly released on the same day with no charges, telling CBS News, “I’m happy to report I am just fine. I lost a button.” He continued, “But I’m going to sleep in my bed tonight, safe with my family. I’m grateful to hear that the charges are not being brought. But if they are, I’ve got a lawyer. I don’t have to worry about my due process rights.” Lander then added that he had been assisting an illegal immigrant named Edgardo, saying that the two had met “just a couple of minutes earlier.”
"*" indicates required fields
Continuing his statement to the press, Lander said that Eguardo “is in ICE detention, and he’s not going to sleep in his bed tonight.” He added, “He has been stripped of his due process rights by a government and a judge that owe him a credible fear hearing before they deport him, and yet have decided instead to strip folks like Edgardo. So I will be fine, but Edgardo is not going to be fine, and the rule of law is not fine, and our constitutional democracy is not fine.”
Watch footage of Lander’s arrest:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video