Several elected officials were among the dozens arrested on Thursday at a New York City federal building after asking for access to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holding facility.
Nearly a dozen elected lawmakers, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, were detained by federal law enforcement after going to 26 Federal Plaza and trying to inspect the 10th-floor cells that are run by ICE.
The holding cells have been scrutinized by local advocates and lawmakers after alleged overcrowding and unsanitary conditions were reported. Last month, a judge ordered the Trump administration to improve conditions at the Manhattan facility.
In total, federal law enforcement arrested 71 individuals, including Lander, two New York State senators and nine New York State Assembly Members, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The Trump administration accused the comptroller of showing up unannounced and said that he yelled that he was not leaving until the detainees were freed.
“Another day, another sanctuary politician pulling a stunt in attempt to get their 15 minutes of fame while endangering DHS personnel and detainees,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Thursday.
“Here are the facts: Brad Lander showed up to 26 Federal Plaza unannounced with agitators and media and proceeded to obstruct law enforcement and cause a scene,” McLaughlin continued. “He yelled inside the building that he was ‘not leaving’ until detainees were ‘released.’”
The building went into lockdown after a bomb threat was called in, according to officials.
New York state Sen. Jabari Brisport wrote online that federal agents “zip-tied the doors closed and then used duct tape to cover any cracks for people to see.”
“And then, they laughed,” he added.
Apart from elected officials, law enforcement arrested advocates and others outside the federal building who were protesting near the garage used to transport migrants in and out of the ICE facility.
“Brad Lander’s obsession with attacking the brave men and women of law enforcement, physically and rhetorically, must stop NOW,” McLaughlin said on Thursday. “The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent criminal illegal aliens to protect and defend the lives of American citizens.”
Lander was also previously arrested in June while escorting an immigration out of court, which garnered mixed reactions from both sides of the aisle.
