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Roller coaster-riding candidate arrested as NYC mayor’s race underway

Dan Levin (Producer), Lauren Keenan (Anchor/Reporter)
New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by ICE agents while he was at an immigration court in the city.
Image credit: AP Photo/Olga Fedorova
This recording was made using enhanced software.

Summary

Candidate's arrest

New York City comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested at a Manhattan immigration court after linking arms with someone authorities were attempting to detain.

Mayoral race dynamics

Brad Lander has not been considered a frontrunner in the New York City mayoral race but has recently received attention for his campaign activities.

Polling and endorsements

A newly released Manhattan Institute poll indicated Andrew Cuomo leading the mayoral race, with 43% overall and 39% among Black voters. Zohran Mamdani polled second at 30% overall and 16% among Black voters.

Full story

Police arrested New York City comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander on Tuesday, June 17, at an immigration court in the city. His arrest comes as voters cast their early ballots in the race to unseat current Mayor Eric Adams.

Candidate arrested

Video of the incident shows Lander linking arms with a person authorities were attempting to detain at a federal building in Manhattan. That’s when he and the person he was with were arrested.

Lander spent the morning in the courtroom observing immigration hearings. He reportedly told a journalist with The Associated Press he was there to accompany some migrants out of the building.

Video of the incident shows officials trying to separate Lander and the other person before eventually putting cuffs on both of them.

“You don’t have authority to arrest U.S. citizens,” Lander could be heard saying to law enforcement. They responded by saying Lander was obstructing the officers.

“It’s a really sobering and upsetting situation that I haven’t quite processed all the way yet,” Lander’s wife Meg Barnette said at a news conference covered by ABC News following his arrest.

Later in the day, Lander was released from custody and spoke to reporters.

“This is a critical time to have a mayor who will stand up to ICE and stand up to Donald Trump and insist on due process and the laws of this city,” Lander said. “This is a sanctuary city, and I was proud to sponsor those laws, and I’m going to show up and defend them.”

This is not the first time the city’s comptroller has been put in handcuffs. In 2017, police arrested Lander along with a group of activists who stood inside the U.S. Capitol building to protest a GOP tax bill.

Lander has not been considered a frontrunner in the mayoral race, but did get some attention for a campaign ad, showing him riding a rollercoaster on Coney Island.

NYC mayoral race

Among those calling for Lander’s release is state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who called the arrest “fascism.”

There are currently 11 candidates on the Democratic ticket, with Mamdani, Lander, NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo leading the pack.

Mamdani received an endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt..

Meanwhile, Cuomo caught criticism for reportedly leaving his car in the middle of the road while attending an event in Midtown on Monday, June 16.

Mayoral primary poll

The Manhattan Institute released a new poll on Tuesday, showing Cuomo leading the pack at 43%. Mamdani polled at 30% while no other candidate broke double digits. According to the poll, Cuomo is the clear first choice among Black voters, getting 39% while Mamdani polled at 16%.

Nine of the 11 candidates have qualified for a debate scheduled for Wednesday, June 18.

Mayoral primary voting

Early voting is already underway in the race. Election Day is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST.

A ranked-choice voting method will determine the outcome, meaning voters have the ability to rank their top five choices. If one candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, they win outright.

If no candidate reaches the necessary majority, the one with the fewest first-choice votes will be eliminated. Voters who chose the eliminated candidates first will then have their votes transferred to their next-highest ranked candidate who is still in the race.

That process of elimination would continue until one candidate reaches the majority needed to win.

Incumbent Mayor Adams

The incumbent, Adams, is running for reelection. But he withdrew from the city’s Democratic primary in April, announcing he would run as an independent.

His time as mayor has not been without controversy, including a federal corruption case where he was accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions. That case was dismissed in federal court after Adams agreed to help the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in the city. Adams denies any quid pro quo.

“The dismissal of the bogus case against me dragged on too long, making it impossible to mount a primary campaign while these false accusations were held over me,” Adams said in a video posted on X.

Cole Lauterbach (Managing Editor), Zachary Hill (Video Editor), and Devin Pavlou (Digital Producer) contributed to this report.
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Why this story matters

The arrest of a mayoral candidate during a high-profile New York City election underscores ongoing debates about immigration enforcement, the conduct of political candidates and broader issues of election integrity and public trust.

Candidate arrests

The arrest of a major city official and mayoral candidate, Brad Lander, during campaign season brings attention to the legal risks and activism involved in political races.

Immigration enforcement

The incident highlights continuing tensions over immigration enforcement policy and the role of local officials, as illustrated by Lander's actions and statements at the federal building.

Election dynamics

With early voting underway and major candidates facing controversies, the situation adds complexity to the already competitive mayoral election, potentially affecting public perceptions of candidates and the issues underlying their campaigns.

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Community reaction

Local officials, advocacy groups and some community members responded quickly and vocally to the arrest. Several New York politicians and immigrant advocacy organizations condemned the arrest, organizing protests and issuing statements labeling the action as an "abuse of power" or "authoritarian," according to sources from multiple perspectives. Public demonstrations occurred outside the courthouse, calling for Lander’s release.

Context corner

This event occurs amid heightened immigration enforcement in U.S. cities, especially following directives from the Trump administration to increase ICE activity in Democratic-led areas. Arrests outside immigration courts have become more common, and similar confrontations between federal agents and Democratic officials, such as in Newark and Los Angeles, have taken place recently, reflecting escalating tensions over immigration policy enforcement.

Oppo research

Opponents of Lander and his actions, particularly from the right, argue that he interfered with federal law enforcement for political gain, reiterating the DHS view that elected officials are "not above the law." Some conservative commentators suggest his arrest was a calculated stunt to energize support for his mayoral campaign and criticize broader Democratic opposition to federal immigration laws.

Sources

  1. The Associated Press
  2. Brad Lander via X
  3. Zohran Mamdani via X
  4. The Manhattan Institute
  5. Fox 5 New York

Bias comparison

  • Media outlets on the left frame Brad Lander’s arrest primarily as a politically motivated “detention” lacking proper warrants and characterized by “excessive force,” employing charged phrases like “fascist display” and “police state harassment” to emphasize government overreach and portray Lander’s actions as peaceful resistance.
  • Media outlets in the center maintain a neutral tone, focusing on factual events and Lander’s candidacy without politicization.
  • Media outlets on the right spotlight official DHS claims of “assault” and “obstruction,” labeling Lander’s behavior as “obstructionist” and “shielding illegal aliens,” with emotionally loaded descriptors such as “Far-Left,” “busted” and “lawful immigration enforcement” to underscore law-and-order priorities.

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Media landscape

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310 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • Brad Lander, the NYC comptroller and a mayoral candidate, was arrested by ICE agents outside federal immigration court in Manhattan on June 17.
  • Lander was detained for allegedly "assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer," as he requested to see a judicial warrant.
  • His arrest drew condemnation from other mayoral candidates, including Andrew Cuomo, who called it "thuggery" by the Trump administration.
  • Lander shouted for a judicial warrant during the incident, as federal agents accused him of "obstructing" their actions.

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Key points from the Center

  • Brad Lander, who serves as New York City’s comptroller and is running for mayor as a Democrat, was taken into custody by ICE and FBI officials outside a federal immigration courthouse in Manhattan on June 17.
  • The arrest took place during widespread immigration enforcement operations targeting individuals near court facilities nationwide, at a time when Lander was accompanying immigrants leaving the immigration court located at 26 Federal Plaza.
  • Lander spent the morning observing immigration hearings and was trying to escort a dismissed case immigrant when agents arrested both him and the man he accompanied.
  • Videos recorded by The Associated Press show Lander stating, "I'm not obstructing," while positioned in the hallway, as an agent insisted that he was blocking the way during the process of handcuffing and escorting him.
  • The arrest attracted attention during early voting for the local Democratic mayoral nomination and raises concerns about how authorities handle citizens attending immigration court proceedings.

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Key points from the Right

  • Brad Lander, New York City comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate, was arrested by ICE agents at an immigration court for allegedly obstructing a federal officer while trying to aid a detainee.
  • Lander's press secretary stated he was detained after requesting a warrant for the individual's arrest.
  • Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed Lander impeded federal officers and assaulted an agent during the incident.
  • Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo condemned Lander's arrest, labeling it an example of the "extreme thuggery" of Trump's ICE out of control.

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Other (sources without bias rating):

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Sources

  1. The Associated Press
  2. Brad Lander via X
  3. Zohran Mamdani via X
  4. The Manhattan Institute
  5. Fox 5 New York