The inspections came after a federal judge in Manhattan ruled that the Department of Homeland Security and ICE had to improve conditions for immigrants being held in the city.<\/p>\n
Lander pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges in December related to the intended inspection.<\/p>\n
\u201cI pleaded not guilty because we were not guilty of any crime,\u201d he said at a news conference ahead of the start of his trial Wednesday. \u201cThe crime is what ICE is doing, and we have pursued our case to trial asking for more information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lander requested to proceed to trial over the charges, saying in a November statement <\/a>that he did so because \u201cI believe the crime is not what I did, but what is happening on the other side of the tenth-floor door.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cICE agents are abducting our neighbors and trying to hide what is happening from the public, and we\u2019re not letting up,\u201d he said. \u201cBy requesting to proceed to trial, in the same way ICE and DHS can ask me what I was doing in the hallway, I will have the opportunity to question the officers about what they were doing on the tenth floor in that detention facility on that day.\u201d<\/p>\n Brad Lander arrives Wednesday at federal court in New York. (Adam Gray \/ Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/p>\n (Adam Gray)<\/p>\n At the Wednesday morning press conference outside the courthouse, Lander said his team will call three witnesses in relation to their case.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is important to keep standing up and fighting back,\u201d Lander said. \u201cThat\u2019s what tens of thousands of people around the country are doing today.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cWhat\u2019s most important is that we keep showing up and bearing witness.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s be clear: the crime was not what we were doing at 26 Federal Plaza. The crime is what ICE is doing there,\u201d Lander said in a social media statement<\/a> Wednesday morning. \u201cWe must stand up fearlessly against Trump & his rogue ICE agents to protect our immigrant neighbors and the rule of law. That\u2019s what I was doing when I was arrested, and that\u2019s what I\u2019m doing today.\u201d<\/p>\n Lander was also taken into custody last June<\/a> in connection with an incident at a federal courthouse<\/a> in New York while he was running for mayor. At the time, he said he and his wife were there serving as advocates for defendants in immigration court.<\/p>\n At the time, DHS said Lander had been arrested and accused of \u201cassaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer.\u201d<\/p>\n Brad Lander speaks outside immigration court in New York City in June 2025. (Michael M. Santiago \/ Getty Images file)<\/p>\n (Michael M. Santiago)<\/p>\n The agency said in a social media post<\/a> at the time that \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Lander denied assaulting law enforcement shortly after he was released following the June incident.<\/p>\n Since his arrest in September, Lander has announced a run for Congress<\/a> and is hoping to represent New York\u2019s 10th Congressional District.<\/p>\n Most recently, the New Yorker hosted a watch party in Park Slope, Brooklyn<\/a>, for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, in which the Knicks are facing the San Antonio Spurs.<\/p>\n Pictures on social media<\/a> show him standing on a table in the Brooklyn bar to celebrate the Knicks going up 2-0 against the Spurs. It is not yet clear how Lander will watch Game 4 of the Finals on Wednesday night or whether he will be in attendance at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n NBC News has reached out to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani \u2014 a close colleague of Lander\u2019s \u2014\u00a0for comment.<\/p>\n This article was originally published on NBCNews.com<\/a><\/p>\n![\"US](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c04113e60a9c236ba6d9ad5c7968066d.jpeg\"\/)
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