Brad Lander, a Democratic mayoral candidate, was arrested by federal agents at an immigration court after linking arms with a detainee. The arrest, witnessed by journalists, is the latest in a series of confrontations. Lander was released after a few hours, with the U.S. Attorney's Office investigating his actions.
Lander stated he was there to "accompany" immigrants. Agents struggled to separate him from the man, and he maintained he was not obstructing.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Lander was arrested for assaulting law enforcement. Lander denied assaulting an officer.
The arrest occurred amid large-scale immigration arrests. Lander's detainment follows a similar incident involving Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
Candidates in the mayoral race quickly criticized the arrest.
4 Comments
Muchacho
This undermines the already challenging work of our law enforcement.
ZmeeLove
We need more politicians like Brad Lander who aren't afraid to fight for the vulnerable.
Bermudez
If he didn't think he was obstructing, he should have had a lawyer present from the start.
Africa
The real criminals are the ones tearing families apart. Lander is on the right side of history.