Brad Lander Acquitted of Charges Stemming from Protest Arrest
In a recent legal development, Brad Lander, a Democratic candidate for Congress, was acquitted of criminal charges linked to his arrest during a protest last September. The protest took place inside a New York City building that houses an immigration court. The verdict was delivered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo, following a one-day trial in Manhattan.
Judge Ricardo, after a comprehensive review of the evidence and Lander’s testimony, stated, “I find the defendant not guilty.” Lander, visibly relieved, embraced his legal team after the ruling was announced.
Lander, who aims to unseat U.S. Representative Dan Goldman in the upcoming Democratic primary, expressed his gratitude outside the courthouse. He praised the judicial process, saying it was a privilege to live in a country where one can challenge the government successfully when wrongfully accused.
Reflecting on the experience, Lander expressed a desire for immigrants facing deportation to have the same access to competent legal representation and the justice system as he did.
The federal prosecution had argued that Lander obstructed an elevator on September 18, 2025, by sitting in front of it for an extended period. However, Judge Ricardo concluded that the prosecution failed to prove Lander’s intent to obstruct or any non-cooperation with conflicting instructions from law enforcement.
Prosecutors declined to comment on the case after the verdict.
During his testimony, Lander maintained that disrupting elevator traffic was never his intention. The building, located in lower Manhattan, accommodates 40 federal agencies, including the FBI. Lander clarified that no instructions were given to him to move or any indication that he was causing an obstruction before his arrest.
Lander, who has previously served as the city’s comptroller and is an ally of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, had earlier refused a plea deal that would have dismissed the charge after six months. This incident was not Lander’s first confrontation with law enforcement at immigration protests. In June 2025, he was arrested at a Manhattan immigration court for linking arms with a detainee, though no charges were filed from that incident.
