New York Dem accused of ‘staged’ arrest after being released by federal authorities within hours

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a Democrat, has been released aft being held for lone a fewer hours for allegedly assaulting an migration official connected Tuesday. 

While Lander, who is moving for politician of New York City, is present being held up arsenic a leader by galore progressives, immoderate accidental his apprehension was much governmental theatre than activism.

Joe Borelli, a erstwhile New York City councilman and GOP governmental operative, told Fox News Digital that helium believes Lander’s apprehension was a "staged event."

"Election time is simply a week from today, and aboriginal voting has begun. Make nary mistake, the intent was to get the headlines that he's getting," said Borelli. "It’s instant sanction designation and establishing adjacent stronger wide bona fides."

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New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a Democrat, (left) has been released aft being held for lone a fewer hours for allegedly assaulting an migration authoritative connected Tuesday. (New York City Comptroller Brad Lander website)

Speaking with Fox News Digital, Borelli likened Lander’s apprehension to the caller apprehension of Newark Democrat Mayor Ras Baraka and the detaining of Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., who were some detained for allegedly disrupting antithetic national events.

"This is the playbook for lefty politicians who privation to marque a get-a-headline. They effort to get arrested, they get arrested and past fake outrage implicit getting arrested," helium said.

He went connected to accidental that Lander’s apprehension was portion of a "coordinated plan" that "not lone benefits Brad Lander but besides Zohran Mamdani, who helium has cross-endorsed."

New York City works connected a ranked prime voting system, allowing voters to fertile candidates successful bid of penchant and prime aggregate candidates.

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"So immoderate momentum Brad gets helps that left-leaning faction led by Zohran astatine the disbursal of Cuomo," explained Borelli, adding that "the existent loser is the taxpayers."

Lander was arrested by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents connected Tuesday aft allegedly assaulting a national officer.

Video footage of Lander's apprehension appeared to amusement him hanging onto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arsenic they escorted a suspect retired of migration tribunal astatine 26 Federal Plaza, repeatedly asking officials if they had a judicial warrant.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested by DHS agents connected June 17, 2025. (Brad Lander/X)

"I volition fto spell erstwhile you amusement maine the judicial warrant," Lander said successful the video. "Where is it? Where is the warrant?"

Hours later, Lander walked retired of the national courthouse wherever helium was being held. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a quality league extracurricular the courthouse that the charges against Lander had been dropped, though the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said it is "continuing to investigate" Lander's actions.

In effect to the incident, a DHS spokesperson said, "Our heroic ICE instrumentality enforcement officers look a 413% summation successful assaults against them—it is incorrect that politicians seeking higher bureau undermine instrumentality enforcement information to get a viral moment."

"No 1 is supra the law, and if you laic a manus connected a instrumentality enforcement officer, you volition look consequences," said the spokesperson.

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NYC Comptroller and Mayoral campaigner Brad Lander speaks during a property league connected February 18, 2025 successful New York City.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Speaking aft his merchandise connected Tuesday, Lander said, "I'm grateful to perceive that the charges are not being brought. But if they are, I've got a lawyer. I don't person to interest astir my owed process rights."

Lander accused the Trump administration of "stripping" amerciable immigrants of their owed process rights.

During the property league extracurricular the national building, Lander said: "This is a captious clip to person a politician who volition basal up to ICE and basal up to Donald Trump and importune connected owed process and the laws of this city. This is simply a sanctuary city. I was arrogant to cosponsor those laws. And I'm going to amusement up and support them."

He thanked the respective different New York City Democratic mayoral candidates who protested his apprehension and took purpose astatine erstwhile New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is the starring campaigner for New York City mayor, saying, "New Yorkers merit amended successful a politician than Andrew Cuomo."

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Mayoral campaigner Andrew Cuomo condemned the arrest, calling ICE "out of control." ( REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado)

"I americium precise grateful to the different mayoral candidates who came retired present to telephone for my merchandise … and I truly anticipation New Yorkers volition elite 1 of us," said Lander.

New York Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt responded to the incidental by telling Fox News Digital that "anyone who obstructs oregon assaults instrumentality enforcement officials – including attention-hungry politicians – deserves to beryllium arrested."

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William O’Reilly, a New York Republican governmental consultant, besides chimed in, telling Fox News Digital that helium believes "Lander is conscionable the latest idiotic New York City progressive getting arrested for supporting lawbreakers."

"More than fractional of the Democratic mayoral tract is moving connected a level of defying U.S. migration law. That's each liable voters should request to know," said O'Reilly.

Lander’s bureau and run did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for comment.

Fox News Digital's Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.