A NEW York City elected official has been arrested at a Manhattan courthouse by masked agents.
Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running for New York City Mayor, was cuffed while observing an immigration hearing on Tuesday morning.
Lander got into a brief scuffle with ICE agents who were hauling a man away when he was arrested, according to the Associated Press.
A video captured by amNY showed that he insisted on seeing a legal warrant and held on to the person being apprehended even though officers attempted to create space between them.
Eventually, one ICE agent was heard saying, “Take him in,” and they turned on the elected officials.
“You don’t have the authority to arrest US citizens,” Lander yelled as he was taken away.
“I’m not obstructing. I’m standing right here in the hallway.”
Pictures taken at the scene showed Lander red-faced and appearing to twist his body as agents tried to restrain him.
The mayoral candidate was reportedly arrested on an obstruction of governmental administration charge, sources told the New York Post.
Earlier, Lander mentioned that he had been present at the federal immigration proceedings that day to accompany the defendants as they were leaving the courthouse, according to his statement to the AP.
Following the episode, his team issued a statement asserting, “While accompanying a defendant from immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, Brad was intercepted and detained by ICE agents.”
