New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a candidate for mayor of the city, was released after being arrested earlier by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
Lander was held for four hours before being released on Tuesday evening. Lander was arrested earlier in the day “for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer,” according to a statement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Speaking to the press after his release, Lander said that he wasn’t going to be charged with the alleged offense.
“I’m grateful to hear that the charges aren’t being brought, but if they are, I’ve got a lawyer,” Lander said. “I don’t have to worry about my due process rights.”
Lander demanded to see a judicial warrant while the agents walked the two men down the hall of 26 Federal Plaza.
“I have it in my hand here,” an agent said, waving a piece of paper in front of Lander’s face.
Shortly after, another agent gave the order for Lander to be detained.
“You don’t have authority to arrest U.S. citizens,” Lander told the agents as they handcuffed and escorted him from the building.
“Where are you taking me? With what authority?”
The arrest comes one week before the Democratic primary of New York’s mayoral race.
The DHS characterized Lander’s move as a political stunt.
“No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.”
It’s unclear how—or if—the arrest will affect Lander’s standing in the race to unseat New York City Mayor Eric Adams, but other Democratic candidates supported him over the incident.
“Shame on ICE—and our disgraced Mayor for his collaboration and silence,” he said.
New York Attorney General Letitia James also condemned the arrest in a statement, calling it “profoundly unacceptable.”
“Arresting Comptroller Lander for the simple act of standing up for immigrants and their civil rights is a shocking abuse of power,” she wrote.
“No one should face fear and intimidation in a courthouse, and this is a grotesque escalation of tensions. The administration’s rampant targeting of New Yorkers only makes our communities less safe.”