New York City Comptroller and far-left mayoral hopeful Brad Lander was arrested Tuesday by Department of Homeland Security agents after he physically confronted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during an active immigration enforcement operation.

According to DHS officials, Lander attempted to obstruct federal agents as they were escorting a detainee from immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza. Video footage confirms that Lander physically held onto ICE agents, demanding they present a judicial warrant—a legal standard that does not apply to civil immigration enforcement.

“I will let go when you show me the judicial warrant!” Lander shouted repeatedly in the video, clutching the agents and blocking their path.

Despite the arrest, Democrat New York Governor Kathy Hochul appeared at Lander’s side later that afternoon, celebrating his release and declaring that the charges had been dropped. However, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York made clear the matter is not over:

“We are continuing to investigate Mr. Lander’s conduct,” the office said in a statement.

A DHS spokesperson issued a sharp rebuke of Lander’s behavior, underscoring the massive spike in attacks on immigration officers under President Donald J. Trump’s second term:

“Our heroic ICE law enforcement officers face a 413% increase in assaults against them—it is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement safety to get a viral moment,” the spokesperson said.
“No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.”

As video of the incident went viral, left-wing activists and Democrat officials rushed to shield Lander from accountability. Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, claimed Lander was merely “asking questions” and accused ICE of “authoritarian” behavior for arresting him.

“It sends an unmistakably authoritarian message – that ICE doesn’t care about the rule of law,” Lieberman said, ignoring the fact that Lander physically interfered with a lawful federal operation.

New York Attorney General Letitia James also defended Lander, calling his actions “standing up for immigrants.”

“This is profoundly unacceptable,” James said, calling the arrest “a shocking abuse of power” and claiming it would make communities “less safe.”

Disgraced former governor and failed mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo weighed in as well, labeling ICE enforcement “extreme thuggery” and once again equating lawful immigration arrests with tyranny.

“Fear of separation, fear of being detained without just cause. This is not who we are,” Cuomo said.

Fellow Democrat and NYC mayoral candidate Scott Stringer went even further, demanding Lander be released “immediately” and accusing the Trump administration of “politicizing” federal immigration enforcement.

Despite the media spin, DHS clarified that ICE agents are acting within their legal authority, operating under administrative warrants, as required by immigration law. Judicial warrants, often cited by open-borders activists like Lander, are not applicable to civil deportation proceedings.

Lander’s apparent ignorance of this legal distinction did not stop him from manhandling law enforcement in front of cameras—a move critics say was clearly staged to score political points with New York’s far-left voting base.