Brad Lander Arrested After Manhattan ICE Confrontation

New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by ICE agents at a Manhattan immigration courthouse after physically intervening in the attempted detention of a migrant and demanding to see a judicial warrant. Lander was charged with assaulting or impeding a federal officer, and Department of Homeland Security officials condemned his actions as undermining law enforcement safety and seeking publicity. Video footage shows Lander clutching the arm of the man ICE sought to arrest, insisting on seeing a judicial warrant, and claiming ICE lacked authority to arrest U.S. citizens. His arrest has intensified debate over Trump-era immigration enforcement, with Democratic allies criticizing the arrest as an abuse of power and praising Lander for defending immigrant rights. The incident has heightened tensions between federal immigration authorities and Democratic officials. Polls indicate Lander is trailing in the mayoral race, and the episode has fueled discourse on the role of local leaders in resisting federal immigration policies.