Brad Lander talks ICE arrest on GDNY
New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by ICE agents at immigration court Tuesday. He joined Good Day New York on Wednesday to discuss.
NEW YORK – New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is headed to trial on federal misdemeanor charges for attempting to inspect conditions at 26 Federal Plaza.Â
NYC comptroller on trial?
What we know:
Lander was arrested in Sept. after he and other elected officials tried to gain access to detention cells in 26 Federal Plaza.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 18: Comptroller Brad Lander is arrested as he joins 11 local elected officials inside lower Manhattan’s federal building, demanding access to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holding area on the building’s 1
Prosecutors agreed not to pursue cases against these elected officials, but FOX 5 NY’s political reporter Morgan McKay has confirmed that Lander declined the offer – instead, he will fight the case at a trial.
Lander’s previous arrests
The backstory:
The comptroller was also arrested in June, where he faced now-dropped charges of assaulting an ICE officer.
He had claimed the ICE agents threatened to arrest him if he did not allow them to detain a man facing immigration issues.
Lander said he told the agents he would comply if they explained why the man was being taken or presented a warrant. Instead, he said, they arrested him and took him into custody.
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – JUNE 17: New York City mayoral candidate and city comptroller Brad Lander who was arrested outside a federal immigration courtroom by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on June 17, 2025, talks to his pro-immi
ICE responded to the incident by accusing Lander of assaulting a federal agent and impeding an investigation. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said:
“New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer. Our heroic ICE law enforcement officers face a 413% increase in assaults against them — 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.”
Incidents related to 26 Federal Plaza
Timeline:
Videos released by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) in July revealed conditions inside the Manhattan government building where the coalition said detained migrants are held without adequate food, medical care or access to showers for days and even weeks at a time.
The videos, taken inside the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza, show numerous people standing, sitting or sprawled on the floor with foil blankets and two toilets in the open space, separated by chest-height blocks.
DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to FOX 5 NY: “26 Federal Plaza is not a detention center. It is a federal building with an ICE law enforcement office inside of it.”
A press release by the DHS stated, “claims there is overcrowding or subprime conditions in ICE facilities are categorically FALSE. All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.”
Over one dozen people were arrested at a protest outside the building in early August. They carried banners stating “Free Them All” and signs that said “Rise Up Against Cruelty,” among other slogans. Protesters claim that immigrants are being held in disgraceful conditions.Â
The building at 26 Federal Plaza was evacuated on Aug. 14, after envelopes filled with an unknown white powder were sent to the ninth floor, where the DHS and the New York City ICE field office are located.Â
ICE agents allegedly assaulted multiple journalists inside 26 Federal Plaza late Sept., with one having to be taken out on a stretcher.Â
Video from the government building, which houses an immigration court, was shared with FOX 5 NY. It showed several people attending to the one man who was on the floor. A doctor appeared to be checking the man’s blood pressure.
A large crowd of protesters gathered around the building last month after ICE conducted a “targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation” on Canal Street.
Multiple elected officials also gathered outside the building to speak out against the arrests.
The Source: This article includes reporting from FOX 5 NY’s political reporter Morgan McKay.