Brad Lander was the NYC Comptroller and a 2025 New York City mayoral candidate. Federal agents arrested Lander on September 18, 2025 while he was attempting to observe ICE actions in the immigration courthouse. He was charged with obstructing the use of property during a protest.
Lander was part of a group of individuals who were present at the immigration court building at 26 Federal Plaza in New York to observe whether ICE was complying with a federal court ruling that prohibited them from unlawfully detaining immigrants arriving at court for hearings. A physical altercation occurred when ICE agents physically separated Lander from a person he was accompanying. This resulted in his arrest and charges of obstructing law enforcement. Lander was also briefly detained and released in June 2025 during court observation.