Judge Acquits Brad Lander in Immigration Court Protest Case

A federal judge on Thursday acquitted Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander of a misdemeanor obstruction charge stemming from his arrest during a protest at a New York immigration court, delivering a legal victory that comes just 12 days before a closely watched Democratic primary. U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo found that prosecutors failed to prove Lander intentionally obstructed elevator traffic at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, where he was arrested on September 18, 2025, alongside 10 other elected officials.

“I find the defendant not guilty,” Ricardo said after reading a lengthy analysis of the evidence and Lander’s testimony, according to AP News. The judge noted there was “no evidence presented at this trial that there was any actual obstruction of anyone” and that he found Lander’s testimony credible.

The Protest and Arrest

Lander, then serving as New York City Comptroller, went to 26 Federal Plaza with other elected officials demanding access to inspect immigrant detention hold rooms on the building’s 10th floor. The group had grown concerned over reports of overcrowded and inhumane conditions in the temporary detention facilities operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to USA Today, the protest was part of broader demonstrations against what advocates described as unsafe detainee conditions. Average detention times in the hold rooms had ballooned from six hours in early 2025 to 103 hours by mid-June 2025, according to court documents cited by Lander’s legal team.

Prosecutors argued that Lander obstructed an elevator on the 10th floor by sitting in front of it for 20 to 25 minutes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Cohen told the court that Lander “ignored multiple warnings to move and instead started chanting the phrase, ‘We shall not be moved.’”

The Trial and Verdict

During the one-day bench trial on June 10, Lander testified in his own defense, stating he had no intention of blocking elevator traffic. He said the elevator closest to him “did not ding, or open, during that time” and that he would have moved if it had. The judge noted that prosecutors barely cross-examined Lander and that his testimony was “not impeached” or directly challenged.

Michael Bass, Lander’s attorney, argued that the case was about more than elevator logistics. “Arrest is the bludgeon of suppression, and this case is yet another example of the administration’s suppression of political dissent,” Bass said, as reported by The Guardian.

Lander had rejected a plea deal in October 2025 that would have dismissed the charge in six months but required him not to protest inside any federal building during that period. He pleaded not guilty in December 2025.

Political Implications

The acquittal provides Lander with a significant political boost as he challenges incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman in the Democratic primary for New York’s 10th Congressional District, scheduled for June 23. Independent polls show Lander leading Goldman by a substantial margin, with one May 2026 poll putting his lead at 34 percentage points.

Outside the courthouse, Lander praised the judicial process while criticizing federal prosecutors. “I feel genuinely moved by the rule of law,” Lander said. He added that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York “has a storied history of independence and seriousness about the rule of law that I believe is in jeopardy. This was not an important prosecution.”

According to amNewYork, Lander said prosecutors should focus on holding ICE and the Department of Homeland Security accountable for conditions inside the building rather than pursuing protesters.

Broader Context

The case has drawn attention to the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement and local elected officials in sanctuary cities like New York. The controversy at 26 Federal Plaza has been a recurring flashpoint, with a federal court ruling in May 2026 blocking immigration agents from making arrests at immigration courts inside the building.

This was not Lander’s first arrest at the immigration court. He was also taken into custody in June 2025 after linking arms with a person authorities were trying to detain, though charges were never filed in that incident.

What’s Next

With the primary election just days away, Lander’s acquittal is expected to energize his progressive base and reinforce his credentials as a civil disobedience activist on immigration issues. Whatever the outcome of the primary, Lander has indicated he plans to continue his activism at the immigration court building. The case has also raised questions about whether the Southern District of New York will face further scrutiny for pursuing a prosecution that the judge found lacked evidentiary support.