Judge acquits Democratic congressional candidate arrested at New York immigration court protest

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NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander was acquitted Thursday of criminal charges related to his arrest last September at a protest inside a building that houses one of New York City's immigration courts.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo delivered his verdict exonerating Lander a day after presiding over a one-day trial in Manhattan.

“I find the defendant not guilty,” Ricardo said after reading a lengthy analysis of the evidence and Lander's testimony. Lander jubilantly hugged his lawyers immediately after the proceeding ended.

Outside the courthouse, Lander, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman in the Democratic primary, said he was moved by the judge's “thoughtful, thorough review and ruling in this case.”

“I feel genuinely moved by the rule of law,” Lander said, calling it a blessing to live in a country where someone can successfully fight the government when wrongfully charged.

He said he wishes that immigrants facing possible deportation from the U.S. could receive the same access to quality lawyers and the courts that he enjoyed.

Federal prosecutors unsuccessfully argued that Lander obstructed an elevator on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza as he sat in front of it for 20 to 25 minutes on Sept. 18, 2025. Ricardo said the government had failed to show that Lander intended to obstruct the elevators or was uncooperative as members of federal law enforcement gave protesters conflicting instructions.

A spokesperson for prosecutors declined comment Thursday.

A day earlier, Lander had testified in his own defense that he had no intention of disrupting elevator traffic in the lower Manhattan building that houses 40 federal agencies, including the FBI.

Lander, formerly the city’s comptroller and an ally of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, testified that nobody told him to step away from the elevator or said he was obstructing it before his arrest.

Weeks after his arrest, he rejected a deal that would have dismissed the misdemeanor obstruction charge in six months.

The arrest was not the first time that Lander, who ran for mayor last year, has faced jeopardy during an immigration protest. He was arrested in June 2025 at an immigration court in Manhattan after he linked arms with a person authorities were trying to detain, but charges were never filed.