Latest news with #TheCITY
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why was NYC comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander arrested by ICE?
(This story has been amended to include new information.) NEW YORK − Federal agents on June 17 arrested New York City comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander as he attempted to escort a man out of immigration court. Lander's arrest is the latest standoff between federal agents and Democratic officials opposed to the Trump administration's tactics to detain mass numbers of immigrants. Video showed Lander link arms with the man that masked agents attempted to detain at a federal building in lower Manhattan. Lander repeatedly asked agents for a warrant used to detain the man before they arrested him. Federal officials said they arrested Lander for assault and impeding agents, and were investigating whether they would charge him with a crime. A reporter from The CITY, a nonprofit news outlet, first recorded the incident. Lander is the city's top financial officer and a candidate for mayor in the June 24 primary election. In a statement, Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Lander's campaign, said Lander had been escorting a defendant out of immigration court. Lander was taken by masked agents and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After over four hours in custody, Lander came out of the federal building alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul. Earlier in the day, he had been escorting migrants out of immigration court, he told supporters. He pointed out that 40% of New Yorkers are immigrants, including some of the agents who detained him. 'We're not just showing up for just a few families, or for the strength of our democracy,' Lander told supporters, speaking through a bullhorn. 'We are showing up for the future of New York City.' In an emailed statement, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said Lander 'was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer.' McLaughlin said it was wrong for politicians seeking higher office to undermine law enforcement safety for a 'viral moment.' 'No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences,' she said. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said it is investigating the actions involving Lander. Federal law prohibits assaulting law enforcement, destroying property and obstructing official proceedings, Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for federal prosecutors, said in an email. "The Department of Justice will prosecute violations of federal law," he said. The incident comes amid increasing federal immigration enforcement in New York's immigration courts and elsewhere across the country, as people show up for hearings or check-ins with immigration officials. On June 15, President Donald Trump directed ICE to increase its efforts to detain and deport migrants in Democratic-run cities. Immigration raids have triggered mass protests in cities across the country. Less than a week ago, federal officials forcibly removed Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, from a press conference held by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem while he attempted to speak out about immigration enforcement. Video posted to social media showed a crowded hallway, where Lander was seen linking arms with the man being escorted by a few masked immigration agents. Lander could be heard repeatedly asking for a judicial warrant. Agents pulled Lander aside, separating him from the man. They pushed him against a wall and cuffed him. 'You don't have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens,' Lander said. He was then whisked away into an elevator, including with his New York City police detail, video showed. Democratic officials throughout NYC and the state swiftly condemned Lander's arrest. "This is a sorry day for New York and our country," Hochul told reporters. Several New York City officials, including those in the upcoming primary election, demonstrated outside the federal building, calling for Lander's release. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the front-runner in the mayoral race, said in a statement that ICE's conduct was the result of Mayor Eric Adams 'handing over the keys of our great city over to Donald Trump.' Adams, a former Democrat, faced federal corruption charges until the Justice Department dropped the case against him. Trump administration officials said the charges interfered with Adams' ability to enact the Trump administration's immigration priorities. The mayor has denied that any quid pro quo took place. 'Comptroller Brad Lander was doing absolutely nothing wrong when he was illegally detained, and he must be released now,' Cuomo said. Kayla Mamelak, a spokesperson for Adams, said today shouldn't be about Lander. "It's about making sure all New Yorkers — regardless of their documentation status — feel safe enough to use public resources, like dialing 911, sending their kids to school, going to the hospital, or attending court appearances, and do not instead hide in the shadows," she said in a statement. New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a Democrat running in the crowded primary, said on X that Lander's detention was "unacceptable and an abuse of power." "This is profoundly unacceptable," New York State Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. "Arresting Comptroller Lander for the simple act of standing up for immigrants and their civil rights is a shocking abuse of power." Both the New York Civil Liberties Union and the New York Immigration Coalition, which have opposed the Trump administration's sweeping enforcement tactics, criticized agents detaining Lander. "It sends an unmistakably authoritarian message – that ICE doesn't care about the rule of law and that anyone exercising their right to challenge ICE and speak up for immigrants will be punished," Donna Lieberman, executive director of NYCLU, said in a statement. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NYC mayoral candidate Brad Lander arrested by ICE agents
The Herald Scotland
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
NYC official Brad Lander arrested by ICE agents
A reporter from The CITY, a nonprofit news outlet, first recorded the incident at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. Lander is the city's top financial officer and a candidate for mayor. In a statement, Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Lander's campaign, said Lander had been escorting a defendant out of immigration court. He was taken by masked agents and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "This is still developing and we are monitoring the situation closely," Pekec said in a statement. In an emailed statement, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said Lander "was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer." DHS didn't respond to a question about whether Lander has been formally charged. McLaughlin said it was wrong for politicians seeking higher office to undermine law enforcement safety for a "viral moment." "No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences," she said. The incident comes amid increasing federal immigration enforcement in New York's immigration courts and elsewhere across the country, as people show up for hearings or check-ins with immigration officials. On June 15, President Donald Trump directed ICE to increase its efforts to detain and deport migrants in Democratic-run cities. Sweeping immigration enforcement has triggered mass protests in cities across the country. Video posted to social media showed a crowded hallway, where Lander was seen holding the man being escorted by a few masked immigration agents. Lander could be seen repeatedly asking for a judicial warrant. At a certain point, agents pulled Lander aside, separating him from the man. Agents pushed him against a wall and cuffed him. "You don't have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens," Lander said. He was then whisked away into an elevator, including with his New York City police detail, video showed. Democratic officials throughout NYC and the state swiftly condemned Lander's arrest. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the front-runner in the mayoral race, said in a statement that ICE's conduct was the result of Mayor Eric Adams "handing over the keys of our great city over to Donald Trump." Adams, a former Democrat, faced federal corruption charges until the Justice Department dropped the case against him. Trump administration officials said the charges interfered with Adams' ability to enact the Trump administration's immigration priorities. The mayor has denied that any quid pro quo took place. "Comptroller Brad Lander was doing absolutely nothing wrong when he was illegally detained, and he must be released now," Cuomo said. Adams' office didn't immediately respond to an email request for comment. New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a Democrat running in the crowded primary, said on X that Lander's detention was "unacceptable and an abuse of power." "This is profoundly unacceptable," New York State Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. "Arresting Comptroller Lander for the simple act of standing up for immigrants and their civil rights is a shocking abuse of power." Both the New York Civil Liberties Union and the New York Immigration Coalition, which have opposed the Trump administration's sweeping enforcement tactics, criticized agents detaining Lander. "It sends an unmistakably authoritarian message - that ICE doesn't care about the rule of law and that anyone exercising their right to challenge ICE and speak up for immigrants will be punished," Donna Lieberman, executive director of NYCLU, said in a statement. In the afternoon, several New York City officials, including those in the upcoming June 24 primary election, demonstrated outside the federal building, calling for Lander's release. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
USA Today
17-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Why was NYC Comptroller, mayoral candidate Brad Lander arrested by ICE?
Why was NYC Comptroller, mayoral candidate Brad Lander arrested by ICE? Show Caption Hide Caption Trump orders ICE more illegal immigration deportations in LA, Chicago President Trump ordered ICE to deliver "the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History" by expanding operations in cities led by Democrats. NEW YORK − Federal agents on June 17 detained New York City Comptroller Brad Lander while he was trying to ask to see a warrant for a man taken into custody while walking out of immigration court, videos show. A reporter from The CITY, a nonprofit news outlet, first recorded the incident at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. Lander is the city's top financial officer and a candidate for mayor. In a statement, Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Lander's campaign, said Lander had been escorting a defendant out of immigration court. He was taken by masked agents and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 'This is still developing and we are monitoring the situation closely,' Pekec said in a statement. Video posted to social media showed a crowded hallway, where Lander was seen holding the man being escorted by a few masked immigration agents. Lander could be seen repeatedly asking for a judicial warrant. At a certain point, agents pulled Lander aside, separating him from the man. Agents pushed him against a wall and cuffed him. 'You don't have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens,' Lander said. This is a developing story.
Politico
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Debate day, part II
Presented by With help from Cris Seda Chabrier Seven candidates will face off tonight in the second and final televised debate of the Democratic mayoral primary — a last chance for the mayoral hopefuls to make their case directly to voters before June 24. NY1 will air and moderate the faceoff, alongside WNYC and The CITY — and the fire may be directed at Zohran Mamdani as well as Andrew Cuomo, who took most of the heat in last week's debate. The candidates will be doing so as a stunning new poll, first reported by POLITICO, showed Mamdani narrowly defeating Cuomo, 35 percent to 31 percent, in a head-to-head that didn't account for ranked-choice voting. Yes, it's just one survey, commissioned by Democrat Justin Brannan's city comptroller campaign and conducted by Public Policy Polling. The poll found Brannan had narrowed the gap compared to other surveys, but opponent Mark Levine was still ahead by double-digits. Cuomo's team Wednesday night was quick to point to a different survey by Honan Strategy Group that found him defeating Mamdani 56 percent to 44 percent in the seventh round of voting. But the buzzy PPP result after months of comfortable, double-digit leads for the ex-governor affirms the growing perception the mayoral race is coming down to two extraordinarily different candidates with divergent plans for the nation's largest city. One is a 67-year-old establishment politician and the other, a 33-year-old democratic socialist running as an upstart. The survey signals a potential re-ordering of the race for Cuomo, who launched his bid for a political comeback on March 1 as the prohibitive favorite against lesser-known candidates. Mamdani, the socialist with scant accomplishments in the state Assembly, entered the race as a long shot. He has since captured the interest of lefty New Yorkers who are eager for a sharp change in New York's direction. The poll dropped before early voting begins Saturday and a week after he was repeatedly blasted by his opponents in the first debate — a dynamic that benefitted the former governor. Attacks on Cuomo gave him more oxygen — not just to defend his record, but also to counterpunch at his rivals. In that forum, Mamdani did not connect in the same way he does in his well-produced videos. City Comptroller Brad Lander — who now appears to be running a distant third in a two-person contest — took Cuomo's bait after the former governor attacked him for approving contracts for groups connected to his wife. The second debate stands to be different. Mamdani's growing support will likely train attacks on him — his thin resume, Israel stance and lefty campaign promises of offering free services by taxing the rich will face further scrutiny. In last week's debate, the former governor questioned his rival's lack of experience and suggested President Donald Trump — the bogeyman of the race — would easily tear a Mayor Mamdani apart. The Cuomo-allied super PAC Fix the City has already started with a mailer knocking Mamdani on Israel, per The Forward's Jacob Kornbluh. That attack dovetailed with a recent TV ad criticizing the Queens assemblymember's tax proposal that's aimed at wealthy New Yorkers. An offensive against Mamdani would help Cuomo — a moderate Democrat — to draw a sharper contrast with his principal rival, especially for voters who may be just starting to pay attention. The final phase of the primary starts today. — Nick Reisman HAPPY THURSDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In Washington, delivering remarks to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. WHERE'S ERIC? In New York City, making a public safety and quality of life-related announcement with NYPD Commissioner Tisch and DSNY leaders, and speaking at a ceremony honoring former U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'We certainly got this. … The NYPD has a responsibility to maintain safety and order, and we are not going to abdicate that responsibility.' — NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Fox 5, via the Daily News, saying the city doesn't need the National Guard after 86 people were arrested in anti-ICE protests Tuesday night. ABOVE THE FOLD HOCHUL IN THE HOT SEAT: Gov. Kathy Hochul and two of her fellow Democratic governors are set to be grilled today by House Republicans over blue-state policies limiting cooperation between federal immigration officers and local law enforcement. Hochul, Tim Walz of Minnesota and JB Pritzker of Illinois are responding to a House Oversight Committee invitation to testify at a 'Hearing with Sanctuary State Governors.' Hochul plans to come armed with data about how the state has worked with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement on criminal matters, with a reminder that she supports strong borders, according to a memo and prepared opening remarks shared with Playbook. 'Immigration is fundamentally a federal issue,' Hochul plans to say at the start of the hearing. 'But the influx of migrants and asylum-seekers we saw across the United States caused New York and other states to shoulder the burden of a broken immigration system.' The governor and her team expect the Republicans on the panel to prod the Democratic governors with 'wild accusations, twisted characterizations and flat-out falsehoods,' according to the memo. 'I will hold Kathy Hochul accountable for the horrific crimes she has allowed to happen on her watch,' Rep. Nick Langworthy, the only New York Republican on the committee, posted Wednesday on X. Defenders of 'sanctuary' policies say they allow for state resources to be used for criminal immigration enforcement but not civil infractions. Hochul has said that the approach allows state police to focus on violent and gun crimes. The hearing is expected to be markedly different than when Mayor Eric Adams took incoming from his own party at a March mayors' hearing over his warmer relationship with President Donald Trump. — Emily Ngo CITY HALL: THE LATEST JEWS FOR SHAHANA: A group of progressive Jews is organizing to boost pro-Palestinian Council Member Shahana Hanif's reelection effort as she defends a challenge from political hopeful Maya Kornberg. Two hundred sixty Jewish constituents signed a letter, first shared with Playbook, urging fellow Jews to back the progressive lawmaker ahead of the June 24 primary. 'As Jews, we're proud to have elected NYC's first Muslim woman to the City Council, and committed to continuing to work with her to make our city safe for all who live here,' the supporters wrote. The group, which is being supported by the left-leaning Jews for Racial & Economic Justice Action, is also door-knocking around the district. In a statement, Sara Forman, the treasurer of Solidarity PAC, a group backing pro-Israel candidates including Kornberg, slammed the effort. 'Of course we are not a monolith and people are free to support whomever they choose, but the idea that anyone would claim to represent 39th District Jewish voters but are unable to recognize Shahana Hanif's revolting initial refusal to condemn Hamas or her blatant ignorance about antisemitic slurs graffitied in her district, is laughable,' she said. — Jason Beeferman HOTTEST SHOW IN TOWN: Nearly 500,000 people watched the first mayoral debate last week on broadcast TV — a slight boost over NBC and Telemundo's primary debate in 2021, even as New Yorkers continue to cut the cord. More than 235,000 views were recorded on the networks' digital and streaming platforms, which aired the full, two-hour debate on June 4. Together, it was a 47 percent increase over the debate four years ago. That's according to viewership numbers from NBC New York, which co-hosted the debate with POLITICO. That suggests there's a lot of attention on the race. Some 942,000 Democrats voted in the mayoral primary in 2021. — Jeff Coltin PRIDE MONTH PICK: First in Playbook, the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, a left-leaning LGBTQ club, is ranking Adrienne Adams first on its mayoral endorsement slate, followed by Mamdani, city Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and former Assemblymember Michael Blake. 'We missed the chance to elect Bella Abzug in the 1970s,' said Allen Roskoff, the club's president, referring to the late Congressmember who ran for mayor against Mario Cuomo in 1977. 'It's time' for a woman mayor, he added. The club announced its unranked slate in April, but now replaced Jessica Ramos with Myrie and Blake after she endorsed Cuomo. — Jeff Coltin and Joe Anuta More from the city: — The City Council voted to clear a hurdle for a hotly debated casino bid in the Bronx — buoyed by crucial, last-minute support from Mayor Eric Adams. (POLITICO Pro) — It's not just Cuomo. At least five men are running for City Council and hoping to redeem themselves after losing office or having their political careers clouded by scandal. (City & State) — Department of Investigation officials have been monitoring the NYPD's response to anti-ICE demonstrations as part of a settlement after 2020 protests. (Gothamist) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY RAMOS FUNDRAISES: State Sen. Jessica Ramos held an 'Albany Send-Off' fundraiser three blocks from the Capitol last night. Tickets ranged from $250 to $5,000. Notably, the fundraiser was for her state account — the one she'd use if she doesn't wind up winning the mayoral election and seeks another term in her current office next year. That account had only $9,000 in the bank as of January, far less than the $100,000 it had in January 2023. Her city-level account owes a quarter million dollars in debt. Ramos said she has 'an end of session fundraiser every year.' It is indeed far from the senator's first Albany event. Back in 2019, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi called Ramos a 'fucking idiot' for criticizing the governor for holding a budget-time fundraiser while she had done the same. — Bill Mahoney More from Albany: — A measure to protect people with developmental disabilities has stalled again in the Legislature. (Times Union) — Former Assemblymember Danny O'Donnell is heading to the state Parole Board. (City & State) — A bill could enable political party bosses to kick out members at will. (New York Post) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION SALT TO BE SHED?: The chair of the Senate Finance Committee said in a meeting Wednesday that three major business tax provisions will be made permanent in the GOP megabill while the House deal on the state and local tax deduction, or SALT, will be scaled back, according to attendees. The pledge to restore larger tax deductions for research-and-development costs, business equipment purchases and interest on debt fulfills a major priority for Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho and members of his panel, who consider them a major driver of economic growth. But making the breaks permanent is costly, and it will require tradeoffs that could cause political problems as GOP leaders seek to finish work on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' Crapo is targeting a hot-potato House priority in the SALT deduction that's critical to highly taxed states like New York. He told GOP senators in the Wednesday briefing that he plans to cap SALT at a lower level than the $40,000 deal Speaker Mike Johnson cut with his members. New York and other blue-state GOP lawmakers are already raising warning bells over the plan, which Senate Majority Leader John Thune first outlined to POLITICO. 'I can guarantee you: Any bill that passes here will have a SALT provision of $40,000 or more,' Rep. Nick LaLota said. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis warned Senate Republicans are 'running the risk of this entire bill imploding' if they alter the House SALT deal, adding that 'they will be responsible for the largest tax hike on the American people.' — Benjamin Guggenheim and Jordain Carney More from Congress: — Democratic governors facing potentially big budget problems exacerbated by the GOP megabill are considering emergency measures to soften the blow. (POLITICO) — Rep. Ritchie Torres donates to the fund demanding freedom for Andry Hernández Romero, a gay asylum-seeker imprisoned in El Salvador. (Advocate) — Lobbyists pick Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as the most likely leader of the Democrats. (Punchbowl News) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — A jury convicts Harvey Weinstein of the top charge in the retrial of his landmark #MeToo sex crimes case. (CNN) — Business groups are concerned about an emissions measure being considered in the final days of Albany's legislative session. (POLITICO Pro) — Long Island leads the state in dog attacks on postal workers. (New York Post) SOCIAL DATA IN MEMORIAM: Jim Katocin, vice president of advertising at City & State has died (City & State) MAKING MOVES: Adriana Pezzulli has joined NYC Kids RISE as chief of development. She was previously with the Community Service Society of New York … Amaia Errecalde has been promoted to be an account executive at strategic comms firm Infinite MEDIAWATCH: 'New York Times Names Co-Chief Restaurant Critics: The pair, Ligaya Mishan and Tejal Rao, are part of an effort to expand starred restaurant reviews across the country, the company said,' by NYT's Katie Robertson WELCOME TO THE WORLD: Alexa Kissinger, an attorney at Kirkland and Ellis and an Obama White House alum, and Gareth Rhodes, managing director at Pacific Street Group, on June 1 welcomed Felix Arthur Kissinger Rhodes, who joins big sister Inez. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Former Assemblymember David Buchwald … Jerika Richardson of the National Urban League … Gerstman's Nicole Epstein … JTA's Philissa Cramer … Columbia's Erin Hussein … Marc Greenberg … NBC's Carrie Budoff Brown … Dag Vega … Bloomberg's Kevin Sheekey … Chris Lu … Julie Andreeff Jensen … Rachel Cordova D'Oro … Alexis Levinson … Nathanael Massey … (WAS WEDNESDAY): Steven A. Cohen ... Michael J. Schoenfeld ... Scott Gottlieb Missed Wednesday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
