They’re cranking up the propaganda machine again: claiming Brad Lander “unlawfully interfered” and that ICE is just “enforcing Trump’s policy.” Reality: Lander stood up for civil rights. ICE’s conduct reflects a deeply troubling use of federal power.
What happened on June 17, 2025:
New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by masked ICE agents at Manhattan’s federal immigration court (26 Federal Plaza) while accompanying an immigrant whose case had just been dismissed.
Key details:
– As they exited the courtroom, agents approached. Lander locked arms with the man and demanded to see a judicial warrant and badge numbers.
– He was charged with obstructing governmental administration or impeding a federal officer, depending on the report.
– Video footage shows agents pinning Lander to a wall, cuffing him, and leading him away. One agent was heard saying, “Do you want to arrest the comptroller?”
– Lander’s wife, Meg Barnette, said they were “swarmed,” calling the arrest shocking and unacceptable. She emphasized he was simply exercising his right to ask for a warrant.
– The immigrant he accompanied was also arrested.
– The arrest comes one week before the Democratic mayoral primary on June 24, amid rising problems over ICE’s courthouse operations.
This is fascism. It’s time to release Brad Lander. What happened today mirrors the chilling ICE arrests of Ras Baraka and detainment of Senator Alex Padilla. It’s deeply troubling, because this is exactly what authoritarianism looks like.
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