New York City comptroller arrested by ICE agents outside immigration court

Official and mayoral campaigner Brad Lander is handcuffed by masked US national agents.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has been arrested by national agents astatine an migration court, arsenic the medication of US President Donald Trump steps up its confrontational attack with section officials implicit migration raids.

Lander, a cardinal campaigner successful the city’s Democratic superior predetermination for mayor, was escorting a suspect retired of tribunal connected Tuesday arsenic portion of an effort to observe migration hearings and beforehand ineligible services for immigrants erstwhile helium was arrested by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“While escorting a suspect retired of migration tribunal astatine 26 Federal Plaza, Brad was taken by masked agents and detained by ICE,” reads a station connected Lander’s societal media relationship that says it was written by his wife.

The apprehension is the latest lawsuit of the Trump medication taking a harsh stance towards Democratic officials who are captious of its assertive attack to immigration enforcement. Federal migration agencies person stepped up apprehensions astatine migration courts successful caller weeks, a signifier that critics accidental discourages immigrants from participating successful the judicial system.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is arrested by agents from the FBI and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement extracurricular national migration tribunal connected June 17, 2025, successful New York City [Olga Fedorova/AP Photo]

Democratic lawmakers expressed outrage past week erstwhile California Senator Alex Padilla was handcuffed aft attempting to interrupt a quality league by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem amid protests against migration raids successful Los Angeles, during which Trump besides threatened to person California Governor Gavin Newsom arrested.

Other mayoral candidates person rallied to Lander’s side, with New York State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani calling the apprehension portion of a inclination of ICE “terrorising radical crossed the country” and erstwhile authorities politician Andrew Cuomo calling it “thuggery” by the Trump administration.

In a video of Lander’s arrest, helium looked to beryllium trying to clasp arms with the suspect earlier agents – immoderate wearing look masks – physically abstracted the 2 and handcuff the comptroller. Lander tin beryllium heard repeatedly asking for a judicial warrant, which is required for migration arrests nether immoderate circumstances. An serviceman holds up a insubstantial saying it is simply a warrant, though helium does not walk it over.

After cuffing Lander, national agents tin beryllium heard telling the comptroller that helium is “obstructing” arsenic helium tells them they “don’t person authorization to apprehension US citizens”.

“They said, ‘You’re obstructing,’” Lander’s woman Meg Barnette said astatine a property league soon aft the incident. “I was shoved retired of the way.”

“What I saw was shocking and unacceptable,” added Barnette, who is simply a lawyer. “What I saw contiguous was not the regularisation of law.”

The US Department of Homeland Security told CBS News that the Lander was arrested “assaulting instrumentality enforcement and impeding a national officer” and accused him of undermining nationalist information to “get a viral moment”.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies