Ex-NYC comptroller Brad Lander to stand trial after arrest at immigration court
Summary
Brad Lander, a former New York City comptroller and Democratic candidate for Congress, will stand trial after being arrested during a visit to inspect immigrant detention rooms at a Manhattan immigration court. The arrest happened when Lander and other officials tried to enter holding rooms where immigrants were detained under extended times and reportedly poor conditions.Key Facts
- Brad Lander was arrested on September 18, 2025, at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan during a visit to immigrant detention hold rooms.
- The site includes an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office and immigration court.
- ICE increased detention times in hold rooms from a previous limit of 12 hours to an average of 103 hours by mid-2025.
- Immigrants held in these rooms filed lawsuits over overcrowded and poor conditions.
- A federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to improve these detention conditions.
- Lander and 10 other elected officials sought to inspect the hold rooms but were denied access.
- After refusing to leave when asked by federal officers, Lander and others were arrested for allegedly blocking entrances during a protest.
- Federal officials offered to drop charges if Lander agreed not to protest inside federal buildings for six months, but he refused.
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