Tuesday, June 17, 2025 – Lower Manhattan – New York City comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by federal agents at an immigration court after he linked arms with a person that authorities were attempting to detain. The person Lander was walking out of the courtroom was also arrested.

Lander had spent the morning observing immigration court hearings and told reporters that he was there to “accompany” some immigrants out of the building after their hearings.

Lander’s detainment comes a little more than a month after Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on a trespassing charge outside a federal immigration detention center in Newark. The charge was later dropped by interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba, and Baraka’s fellow Democrat, Rep. LaMonica McIver, was charged with assaulting and impeding federal agents stemming from her role at the same visit as the mayor. A federal indictment charges she grabbed, pushed and blocked officers from arresting the mayor. She’s denied the charges and said she plans to fight it.

Baraka has since filed a federal lawsuit against Habba alleging false arrest and malicious prosecution.

A spokesperson for the FBI deferred comment to the Department of Homeland Security, which did not respond to the media’s inquiry.

This is a developing story!

@NYCMayorsOffice @BarnetteLander @NYCComptroller