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Brad Lander Released After ICE Detention, Fueling Outcry Among Democratic Leaders

President Trump’s intensified deportation campaign has seen ICE detain elected Democratic officials in recent weeks

Overview

  • On June 17, masked ICE agents handcuffed and detained Lander outside a Manhattan immigration court as he escorted a defendant and insisted on seeing a judicial warrant.
  • The Department of Homeland Security accused him of assaulting a federal officer and impeding law enforcement; he denied the allegations and was released after Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed the charges were dropped.
  • Protesters gathered at Federal Plaza and Democratic officials, including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, decried the detention as federal overreach.
  • The incident followed similar confrontations this month when ICE agents detained Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and handcuffed Senator Alex Padilla at a DHS event.
  • Lander publicly faulted Mayor Eric Adams for his tepid statement and said he will keep attending court sessions to support immigrants facing ICE enforcement.