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NYC Mayoral Candidate Brad Lander Arrested While Escorting Migrant

The City Comptroller was seized by masked ICE agents at the entrance to Manhattan immigration court

Brad Lander, New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate, was arrested on Tuesday, June 17, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Manhattan. According to his spokesperson Kat Caposella, Lander was accompanying a migrant to immigration court when he was “seized by masked agents” at the courthouse entrance.

A video of the arrest quickly circulated online, sparking a wave of protests against what critics call repressive tactics by the Department of Homeland Security, particularly targeting Democratic officials who oppose President Donald Trump’s deportation policies.

“I’m not interfering. I’m just standing here in the hallway. I asked to see an arrest warrant,” Lander is heard saying in the footage as ICE agents move in to detain the migrant.

According to his wife, Meg Barnette, Lander was arrested when he linked arms with the migrant in a symbolic gesture of solidarity. “This is who Brad is — and what he will continue to stand for,” she said.

The incident follows recent outrage over the treatment of Democratic Senator Alex Padilla, who was tackled, forced to his knees, and handcuffed by federal agents after interrupting a press conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

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