Former NYC Comptroller Brad Lander to Stand Trial Over Immigration Court Arrest
U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo acquitted Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander on Thursday of a misdemeanor obstruction charge arising from his September 2025 arrest at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, where he and other elected officials attempted to inspect ICE holding rooms. The one-day bench trial centered on whether Lander had unreasonably blocked an elevator bank on the building's 10th floor; the judge found the government failed to prove intent to obstruct or that Lander was uncooperative given conflicting instructions from law enforcement. The acquittal comes less than two weeks before the June 23 Democratic primary in which Lander is challenging incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman for New York's 10th Congressional District.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo delivered a not-guilty verdict Thursday in the case against Brad Lander, former New York City comptroller and current congressional candidate, who had been charged with unreasonably obstructing elevator access on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza during a September 18, 2025 protest. Lander and roughly ten other elected officials had gone to the building — which houses an ICE field office, immigration courts, and dozens of other federal agencies — to inspect hold rooms where detained immigrants were being held in reportedly overcrowded and squalid conditions, following a federal court order requiring DHS and ICE to improve those conditions. When officials were denied access to the hold rooms, they sat down and chanted; Federal Protective Service officers subsequently arrested them and issued violation tickets. At trial, prosecutors argued Lander sat in front of an elevator for 20 to 25 minutes and ignored warnings to move, while Lander testified he had no intent to block the elevator and would have moved for anyone needing access. Judge Ricardo ruled the government had not demonstrated intent to obstruct or that Lander was uncooperative given conflicting instructions from officers. Lander had previously rejected a plea deal that would have dismissed the charge in six months on the condition he not protest inside any federal building for that period, choosing instead to go to trial. Separately, a Portland man, Robert Jacob Hoopes, was sentenced Thursday to 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to aggravated assault of a federal employee with a dangerous weapon for throwing a rock that struck an ICE officer in the face during a June 2025 protest.
What's missing
The outcomes for the approximately ten other elected officials arrested alongside Lander at 26 Federal Plaza on September 18, 2025 — whether they also went to trial, accepted plea deals, or had charges dropped — are not addressed in any of the sources. Additionally, the current status of the federal court injunction requiring DHS and ICE to improve conditions in the 26 Federal Plaza hold rooms is not updated in the coverage.
How coverage differed
Left-leaning outlets (Guardian, NBC News, PBS NewsHour) framed Lander's arrest and trial primarily as government overreach and suppression of political dissent, emphasizing the humanitarian concerns about ICE detention conditions that motivated the protest. Right-leaning outlets (Washington Times, Washington Examiner, New York Post) covered the acquittal more straightforwardly as a legal outcome while noting Lander's political ambitions and, in the case of Fox News, juxtaposed immigration protest coverage with the Portland sentencing story to emphasize consequences for protest-related violence.
What different sources said
- ABC NewsCenter
Anti-ICE protester sentenced to 30 months in prison for assaulting a federal officer
- NBC NewsLeft
Brad Lander stands trial in New York over September arrest at ICE facility
- Washington TimesRight
Judge to rule Thursday in misdemeanor arrest of congressional candidate Brad Lander
- UPICenter
Former comptroller Lander in court after arrest tied to ICE protest
Brad Lander found not guilty of blocking elevator at New York ICE facility
- New York PostRight
Brad Lander tears up after judge finds him not guilty in NYC ICE arrest episode
- PoliticoLeft
Judge finds Lander not guilty in 26 Federal Plaza obstruction case
- PBS NewsHourLeft
Judge acquits Democratic congressional candidate arrested at New York immigration court protest
- Washington ExaminerRight
Brad Lander acquitted of criminal charge over protest at immigration court
Jurors Balked at Indicting ICE Protesters. Prosecutors Kept Pushing.
- Times of IsraelCenter
Lander, NY Jewish progressive House candidate, acquitted after arrest in immigration court
- Fox NewsRight
Portland man sentenced to 30 months in prison for throwing rock at ICE officer during protest
- The IndependentLeft
Man who hit federal officer with rock during Portland ICE protest gets hefty prison time
Related
Workers Begin Removing Trump's Name from Kennedy Center Facade After Court-Ordered Deadline
Workers started stripping President Trump's name from the exterior of the Kennedy Center in Washington overnight Friday into Saturday, hours past a court-ordered deadline of 11:59 p.m. Friday. The delay was attributed to nearby thunderstorms, and the Kennedy Center's board sought a 12-hour extension, which U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper had already denied after rejecting the board's last-minute attempt to halt the order. The removal marks a significant legal rebuke of the Trump administration's effort to rename the historic performing arts venue, with a court ruling that only Congress has the authority to change the Kennedy Center's name.
Hasan Piker Campaigns for DSA-Backed NYC Candidates, Sparking Debate Over Democratic Party Direction
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker rallied in Brooklyn for two Democratic Socialist of America-endorsed congressional candidates ahead of New York's June 23 primary, declaring the country is 'closer than ever' to socialism. The appearances come amid a broader debate within the Democratic Party over whether to embrace or distance itself from Piker, whose pro-Palestinian views and provocative statements have made him a polarizing figure. The controversy highlights a growing tension between the party's centrist establishment and its increasingly left-leaning base, particularly on foreign policy.
Fire Rescue Victoria Has Missed Emergency Response Targets Every Year Since 2020, With Outer Suburbs Worst Affected
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) has failed to meet its target of responding to 90 per cent of structural fires within seven minutes and 42 seconds in every year since its formation in 2020, with outer suburban areas recording the worst performance. The shortfall has come into sharp focus following the death of three-year-old Jordan Dashwood in a Werribee house fire this month, where the nearest FRV truck was committed to another incident and the first responders arrived well outside the benchmark time. The findings raise serious questions about whether the 2020 fire services restructure has been adequately resourced to protect Melbourne's rapidly growing outer suburbs.