Brad Lander, the current New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate, was arrested on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, outside the federal immigration courthouse in Manhattan. Lander was accompanying Edgardo, a Spanish-speaking immigrant New Yorker, to protect him from an illegitimate arrest by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents, who have become increasingly aggressive in detaining people without warrants.
When a team of masked agents tried to take Edgardo away, Lander physically intervened, repeatedly asking, “Do you have a judicial warrant? I will let go if you have a judicial warrant.” The agents did not show any warrant and forcibly handcuffed him. During the arrest, Lander protested: “You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens asking for a judicial warrant.”
Both Edgardo and Lander were detained. While Lander was released after a few hours without formal charges, Edgardo remained in custody at an ICE detention center, with no guarantees of legal defense. As he left the courthouse, accompanied by New York Governor Kathy Hochul—who called the arrest “This is bullshit” on camera—Lander declared: “I will be fine, but Edgardo is not going to be fine and the rule of law is not fine and our constitutional democracy is not fine.”
The video of his arrest went viral, sparking a wave of criticism. Outside the courthouse, a crowd of New Yorkers and numerous politicians awaited him in solidarity, while current Mayor Eric Adams offered only formal statements. Andrew Cuomo, former governor and frontrunner in the mayoral race, was absent but condemned the arrest. Zohran Mamdani, Cuomo’s progressive rival and Lander’s ally, rushed to the scene.
The arrest raised Lander’s profile, a longtime civil rights activist who had been trailing Cuomo and Mamdani in the polls. Lander harshly criticized both Adams, accusing him of having “sold out the city” through corruption, and Cuomo, calling him “an abusive bully who doesn’t love New York, only himself.” Despite some criticism for endorsing Mamdani—of Indian origin and known for pro-Palestinian views—Lander defended the choice as a symbol of politics that unites diverse communities: “A Jewish New Yorker and a Muslim New Yorker endorsing each other is a hopeful sign for the city.”
Lander is the third Democratic politician recently detained by Department of Homeland Security agents as part of Trump’s crackdown on immigrants: before him, California Senator Alex Padilla and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka were arrested. For Lander, this clearly shows the Trump administration’s promise to “liberate” cities like New York and Los Angeles through fear and repression to silence opponents and enforce an aggressive immigration policy.
The day after the arrest, Lander said he had no news about Edgardo. He recounted speaking with the two ICE agents who detained him: both were immigrants—one a Pakistani resident of Brooklyn, the other an Indo-Guyanese from Queens—and they told him they were working exhausting shifts. Along with rabbis, lawyers, and activists from groups like Jews for Racial and Economic Justice and Immigrant Act, Lander has long volunteered to accompany immigrants to court to protect them from abuse and arbitrary arrests.
“I will sleep in my bed tonight, but Edgardo will sleep God knows where, without a lawyer, without defense, in a country that claims to be founded on equal justice for all,” Lander said.
As the mayoral campaign enters its decisive week, the arrest could shift the balance in an already tense race. Lander intends to keep fighting for “a politics of hope that builds bridges instead of fueling fear and division.” And he promises: “Whoever wins, I will continue to fight for this vision of the city.”
Brad Lander is an American politician, urban planner, and progressive activist, born on July 8, 1969, in St. Louis, Missouri. He currently serves as the New York City Comptroller, a position he assumed on January 1, 2022. He is also a candidate for mayor in the 2025 election.
Education and Early Career
Lander earned a degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago and holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from Pratt Institute as well as an MSc from University College London. Before entering politics, he led the Fifth Avenue Committee, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit focused on affordable housing development, and the Pratt Center for Community Development.
Political Career
In 2009, Lander was elected to the New York City Council representing Brooklyn’s 39th district. During his tenure, he co-founded the Progressive Caucus and championed legislation protecting workers’ rights, establishing fair wages, and promoting affordable housing initiatives.
In 2021, he was elected as New York City Comptroller, overseeing the city’s finances and investments. Under his leadership, the Comptroller’s office managed municipal bond issuances totaling $7.8 billion, funding infrastructure projects, schools, and climate resilience programs.
Mayoral Candidacy
In July 2024, Lander announced his run for mayor of New York City. His campaign platform emphasizes progressive policies such as ending homelessness among people with serious mental illnesses, increasing investment in the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and guaranteeing childcare and afterschool programs for all New York youth.
Personal Life
Lander lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Meg Barnette, president and CEO of NonProfit New York, and their two children, Marek and Rosa, who attend New York City public schools.
