Federal agents on Tuesday detained New York City Comptroller Brad Lander at a federal immigration courthouse in Manhattan. The Department of Homeland Security later announced that Lander was arrested for “assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer.”

“While escorting a defendant out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, Brad was taken by masked agents and detained by ICE,” Kat Capossela, Lander’s mayoral campaign press secretary, told NBC News by email. Lander is a candidate in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York, which takes place next week.

A video posted to Lander’s personal account on social media shows him standing next to a man, surrounded by people who appear to be law enforcement officers, some wearing masks. As officers attempt to arrest the man next to Lander, others scuffle with Lander before pushing him against a wall and handcuffing him.

In a statement on social media, DHS said, “It is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement safety to get a viral moment. No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.”

Recommended

MS NOW Opinion

The nightmare I saw at Manhattan’s ICE detention facility

Brad Lander

Maddowblog

Tuesday’s Mini-Report, 6.17.25

Steve Benen

Lander’s arrest is the latest instance of federal officials under President Donald Trump detaining, charging or arresting Democratic elected officials. On Thursday, California Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference in Los Angeles. Last month, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested while protesting outside a new ICE facility in his city. The charges against him were later dropped, but Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver was charged with assaulting federal law enforcement officers in the same incident.

Criticisms of Lander’s arrest poured in from Democratic officials. In a statement, New York Attorney General Tish James called it “a shocking abuse of power.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., labeled it “political intimidation.” Several other mayoral candidates, including state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, condemned the arrest.

“I feel really rattled and scared, and my husband is a candidate for mayor, is an elected citywide official, is a U.S. citizen,” Lander’s wife, Meg Barnette, said at a news conference Tuesday after his arrest. Lander “has a U.S. passport and I know in all likelihood he is OK,” she added. “And all of the other folks in that building are risking having their families torn apart with inadequate explanation. And it’s an abomination.”