"Lander has rejected a plea offer and pushed back on the charges, accusing ICE of misusing the federal office building as a de facto detention center with harsh and unsafe conditions. He argues the agency, not elected officials, is responsible for obstructing the building's "usual use" by keeping migrants on a floor that lacks beds, hygiene supplies and adequate oversight. He is due back in court later this month."
"Despite his congressional challenge, Lander has also recently worked alongside Goldman on immigration-related issues. In late September, the two issued a joint letter urging the Department of Homeland Security to refer for felony prosecution an ICE agent who was caught on video allegedly shoving a woman to the ground in front of her children at 26 Federal Plaza. They called the agent's reinstatement "outrageous," urging federal authorities to take immediate action."
"Lander's campaign platform centers on resisting authoritarianism, expanding affordable housing, strengthening worker protections and reshaping U.S. foreign policy. The platform highlights his record on housing, from anti-eviction work and affordable-housing development to the Gowanus rezoning, as well as his office's intervention that preserved more than 35,000 affordable units following the collapse of Signature Bank. He also cites his work securing paid sick leave, gig-worker protections and higher wages for delivery workers and ride-hail drivers."
The comptroller was arrested at 26 Federal Plaza after attempting to inspect a holding area that advocates say ICE has used as an ad hoc detention site for migrants leaving immigration court. Federal agents charged him with a misdemeanor for allegedly obstructing the elevator lobby. He rejected a plea offer and accused ICE of misusing the federal office building as a de facto detention center with harsh conditions, arguing the agency, not elected officials, obstructed the building's usual use. He faces a return to court later this month. He has also collaborated on immigration accountability and campaigned on housing, worker protections and altered foreign policy priorities.
Read at Brooklyn Paper
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