New York Metropolis officers and authorized organizations have been swift to sentence Metropolis Comptroller and mayoral hopeful Brad Lander’s arrest on Tuesday afternoon — decrying the transfer as an “abuse of power” by ICE and different federal brokers concerned.
The comptroller was taken into custody by federal brokers whereas observing immigration hearings at 26 Federal Plaza. Lander had tried to escort a person previous federal brokers — representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, and the Treasury Division — after their deportation case was dismissed in courtroom.
Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams wrote in a publish on X that Lander’s arrest and the “continued attacks on New Yorkers by ICE are unacceptable and an abuse of power.”
“Comptroller Lander should be released and ICE should stop undermining public safety in our city by targeting New Yorkers going about their lives,” Adams wrote. “Masked agents terrorizing our communities and families makes our city less safe. Unlawfully arresting witnesses and public officials is an intimidation tactic. We will always be a city of immigrants that stands up for what’s right.”
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo mentioned Lander’s arrest marked one other instance of “extreme thuggery” by each ICE and the Trump administration, which has surged its immigration enforcement operations in current months to nice extremes nationwide.
“This is the latest example of the extreme thuggery of Trump’s ICE out of control – one can only imagine the fear families across our country feel when confronted with ICE. Fear of separation, fear of being taken from their schools, fear of being detained without just cause, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running for mayor in the Democratic primary, wrote in a statement. “This is not who we are. This must stop, and it must stop now.”
Cuomo additionally blamed Mayor Eric Adams, who’s operating for re-election as an unbiased, for a part of Lander’s arrest.
“Make no mistake: this kind of conduct is the direct result of Mayor Eric Adams handing the keys of our great City over to Donald Trump,” Cuomo wrote. “Comptroller Brad Lander was doing absolutely nothing wrong when he was illegally detained and he must be released”
The previous governor has more and more emphasised all through his marketing campaign the necessity for the subsequent mayor to be powerful on President Donald Trump, asserting that Trump has “declared war” on New York Metropolis and cities throughout the USA.
Queens Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani (D-Queens), one other mayoral candidate, condemned the arrest in a publish on X.
“This is fascism and all New Yorkers must speak in one voice. Release him now,” Mamdani wrote. Lander and Mamdani cross-endorsed each other within the upcoming Democratic major election.
Mamdani launched a separate assertion calling the arrest the “result of the authoritarian crisis New York City faces under Donald Trump and all those who enable him.”
“Standing up for our immigrant neighbors should be celebrated, not condemned,” Mamdani’s assertion reads. “All New Yorkers must speak in one voice and share one message: release Brad now. We will not rest or grow quiet until Brad—and the immigrant communities who call New York City home—are safe.”
Lander arrest ‘profoundly unacceptable’
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams demanded Lander’s launch in a press release and condemned ICE’s more and more aggressive techniques.
“ICE appears to have detained a citywide elected official, an American citizen,” Williams’ assertion reads. “I demand the Comptroller’s immediate release – he was working to ensure that New Yorkers’ dignity, rights, and humanity were upheld. With Donald Trump and his allies working to disappear our immigrant neighbors, we all have a moral obligation to act against immorality.”
Williams and Lander every serve in watchdog positions within the metropolis authorities, with the comptroller overseeing the town’s fiscal well being and performing as an unbiased auditor and the general public advocate investigating resident complaints and suggesting options to inefficacy in authorities.
“ICE’s conduct is appalling, and the Comptroller’s is inspiring. We need leadership that will use the power and voice they have – standing up for the most vulnerable people in our city against oppression and harm. Every leader of conscience should speak out against this attempt by ICE to silence dissent and deny human and legal rights,” Williams wrote.
Legal professional Normal Letitia James mentioned in a press release that Tuesday’s arrest is “profoundly unacceptable.”
“Arresting Comptroller Lander for the simple act of standing up for immigrants and their civil rights is a shocking abuse of power,” James mentioned. “No one should face fear and intimidation in a courthouse, and this is a grotesque escalation of tensions. The administration’s rampant targeting of New Yorkers only makes our communities less safe.”
Calling for justice
Lander has joined a number of native officers in condemning ICE raids at immigration courtroom homes, the place people probably going through deportation and household separation attend routine immigration hearings.
When brokers tried to tug Lander away from the person he had been escorting, Lander mentioned, “Show me your warrant, show me your badge.” Then, one agent mentioned, “Take him in.” Federal brokers proceeded to forcibly detain Lander. Whereas in custody, the comptroller is together with his NYPD element and two attorneys.
ICE’s arrest of Lander drew the ire of native authorized teams, with the New York Civil Liberties Union rapidly condemning the detention as authoritarian.
“ICE arresting Brad Lander for asking questions is a stunning abuse of power and a threat to our democracy,” the NYCLU wrote in a press release. “Arresting a public official, the duly-elected comptroller of the City of New York, for asking questions is dangerous intimidation and shows a wanton disregard for the will of the people of New York. It sends an unmistakably authoritarian message – that ICE doesn’t care about the rule of law and that anyone exercising their right to challenge ICE and speak up for immigrants will be punished.”
Govt Director of Make the Highway Motion, Theo Oshiro, additionally referred to as for Lander’s instant launch in a press release. Make the Highway Motion advocates for points in New York related to immigrant and working-class communities.
“Brad Lander was wrongly arrested by ICE agents today, all while acting within his right to ask for a judicial warrant from ICE agents who have been handcuffing and detaining immigrants in our courthouses,” Oshiro wrote. “This authoritarian tactic by ICE is a clear example of how this agency has gone rogue under this administration. For the past months, ICE has blatantly disregarded immigrants’ rights and has carried out unprecedented arrests of U.S. citizens—with violence and impunity.”
