NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) -- New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by federal agents at an immigration court Tuesday as he was trying to “accompany” a person out of a courtroom.
A spokesperson for Lander's campaign said he was taken by "masked agents" and detained. The person Lander was walking out of the courtroom was also arrested.
"While escorting a defendant out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, Brad was taken by masked agents and detained by [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]," a spokesperson for Lander's campaign told PIX11 News.
Video of the encounter obtained by PIX11 shows Lander being put into handcuffs by two people not in uniform at the courthouse. Nearby, there is an officer in a vest that reads "Police, Federal Agent." Lander is taken into an elevator as onlookers ask where he will be taken.
Video posted to social media by Lander's wife shows a tense scene as officers walk Lander through a hallway, almost bringing him to the ground at one point. In the video, Lander can be heard asking, "Do you have a judicial warrant?"
Lander repeatedly asks to see a warrant, saying, "I would like to see the warrant and then I will let go."
"You don't have the warrant, you don't have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens," Lander can be heard saying in the video.
In an unrelated news conference last week, Lander explained that he has been accompanying people out of immigration court.
"The immigration courts are very chaotic right now. There are masked FBI and ICE agents in the elevator banks waiting for people," Lander said.
Many elected officials responded to Lander's arrest, including state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who recently co-endorsed Lander.
"This is fascism and all New Yorkers must speak in one voice. Release him now," Mamdani said.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is also running for mayor, said Lander's arrest is an example of President Donald Trump's "extreme thuggery."
This is a developing story. Please refresh the page for updates.
This story comprises reporting from the Associated Press
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.
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