The New York City Comptroller, Democrat Brad Lander, was detained on Tuesday by agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while assisting a migrant at an immigration court in the city.
Lander, a candidate for the New York City mayoral race in the Democratic primaries on June 24, was at the courthouse observing the judicial proceedings related to migrants when the incident occurred.
According to Dora Pekec, spokesperson for his campaign, "while escorting a defendant out of the courthouse, Brad was abducted by masked agents and detained by ICE."
Videos shared on X show the moment when Lander holds an immigrant by the arm to prevent their arrest while demanding to see a judicial order.
Immediately afterwards, two agents wearing surgical masks forcefully pull him away from the man, push him against a wall, and lead him handcuffed to an elevator.
During his detention, the inspector demanded: "You have no authority to detain American citizens. Where are you taking me and under what authority?"
Lander was released without charges hours later, although the incident has sparked a wave of political and media reactions.
In recent weeks, human rights organizations and lawyers have reported an increase in the detention of immigrants in the country's immigration courts by ICE agents.
The presence of these operations in judicial spaces has sparked significant controversy.
The case of Lander occurs just days after a similar incident in Los Angeles, when Democratic Senator Alex Padilla interrupted an appearance by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in protest of the government's immigration policies.
The arrest of the comptroller reignites the debate on the role of immigration authorities in judicial spaces and the protection of rights for both citizens and migrants.
Lander's campaign has not indicated whether the candidate will take legal action, but has stated that it will continue to advocate for "the values of an inclusive and just city."
Filed under:
