Overview

• On June 17, masked ICE and FBI agents handcuffed and arrested Comptroller Brad Lander at 26 Federal Plaza after he demanded to see a judicial warrant while escorting a defendant.
• The Department of Homeland Security said he assaulted and impeded a federal officer, charges Lander denied, insisting he only asked to view the warrant.
• Prosecutors dropped the charges and released Lander hours later, while the U.S. attorney’s office said it would review his actions before deciding on any formal indictment.
• Democratic leaders from Andrew Cuomo to Zohran Mamdani denounced the arrest as an example of overreach in President Trump’s immigration enforcement.
• Lander’s detention follows similar incidents involving Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Sen. Alex Padilla, raising questions about due process in immigration courts.