New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested Tuesday by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at a federal immigration court in Manhattan as he accompanied an individual exiting a hearing. Lander has been attending hearings to accompany immigrants facing deportation, amidst reports of officers detaining immigrants leaving court proceedings.

The arrest comes just one week before New York’s June 24 mayoral primary, where Lander has been ranking between third and fourth in the polls.

On Tuesday, Lander linked arms with the individual, identified as “Edgardo,” as he exited a hearing at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. When federal agents intervened to detain the individual, Lander demanded to see a judicial arrest warrant.

As seen in video footage, ICE agents then separated the two men before shoving Lander against a wall and handcuffing him, despite Lander denying that he was obstructing. Lander can be heard shouting at federal officers, “You don’t have the authority to arrest US citizens asking for a judicial warrant.”

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that Lander was charged with assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer, and cited a supposed 413 percent rise in assaults against ICE personnel. Lander denied the allegations, stating he was merely trying to hold on to the arm of the immigrant being detained.

Following several hours in custody, he was released, and reports indicate federal authorities dropped the charges.

The arrest reflects a broader pattern of confrontations between ICE and Democratic officials at immigration courts, including recent incidents involving Senator Alex Padilla and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Prominent New York politicians quickly lambasted Lander’s arrest. Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani decried it as “fascism,” while former governor Andrew Cuomo labelled ICE’s move as “extreme thuggery.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James released a statement, reading:

Arresting Comptroller Lander for the simple act of standing up for immigrants and their civil rights is a shocking abuse of power. No one should face fear and intimidation in a courthouse, and this is a grotesque escalation of tensions.

After being released, Lander told reporters that he was “just fine” but “lost a button” on his blazer. However, he highlighted that the immigrant “ripped” from him inside the courthouse did not have a lawyer and will sleep in ICE detention.

Lander said, “He has been stripped of his due process rights by a government and judge that owe him a credible-fear hearing before they deport him.”