New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who recently ran for mayor, said an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who participated in his arrest at a Manhattan immigration court expressed an interest in fellow Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
Lander recounted the exchange during an appearance on the Jewish Currents On the Nose podcast, saying that after being detained, ICE agents disclosed their backgrounds. Lander said one agent asked about Mamdani and said he was considering supporting him in the mayoral election.
Why It Matters
The incident underscores the complexities of immigration enforcement, which has been a focus of the Trump administration.
“These guys were not born brownshirts, but Donald Trump and the times that we’re living in are making them brownshirts. Like the leaders that we elect are of enormous consequence for our collective decency or indecency,” Lander said.
Mamdani, who was endorsed by Lander, recently won the Democratic mayoral primary. His platform prioritizing affordability drew national attention as he took on former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Lander and Mamdani had a cross-endorsement of each other heading into the primary, which utilized ranked-choice voting.
A recent poll by Slingshot Strategies shows Mamdani leading among likely voters with 36 percent of the vote, ahead of Cuomo and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
What To Know
Lander was detained by federal agents on June 17 at 26 Federal Plaza for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer during an attempt to escort an immigrant after a court hearing. Lander was released later that day, and the charges against him were dropped.
Lander described his arrest as “pretty rough,” on the On the Nose podcast. He said that after being taken to a hallway, the ICE officers removed their masks and discussed their backgrounds.
“The first guy is a Pakistani Muslim immigrant who lives in Brighton Beach,” Lander said.
Another officer was an Indo-Gaianese immigrant who lives in South Ozone Park, Lander said.
During the interaction, the Pakistani-American ICE officer reportedly asked Lander, “What’s Mamdani like? He’s been to my mosque a couple of times, and I’m thinking of ranking you guys.”
Lander’s arrest followed his repeated demands to see a judicial warrant for immigrants ICE agents sought to detain.
Video circulated online showed Lander being handcuffed while saying, “I asked to see the judicial warrant.”
Multiple city, state and federal politicians spoke out following Lander’s arrest, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who said, “It’s bull****.”
What People Are Saying
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, speaking about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement on the On the Nose podcast: “It is a fundamental emergency for our democracy.”
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement to Newsweek after Lander’s arrest: “Our heroic ICE law enforcement officers face a 413 percent increase in assaults against them—it is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement safety to get a viral moment. No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.”
What Happens Next
The New York City mayoral election is set for November 4. Mamdani will face off against Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, as well as Adams and Cuomo, who are running as independents.
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