New York City Comptroller Brad Lander rejected a deferred-prosecution offer and chose to go to trial on a misdemeanor obstruction charge stemming from a Sept. 18 protest at holding rooms in 26 Federal Plaza. Lander says a trial will expose federal practices he objects to and pledged to continue protesting immigration enforcement. Eleven officials were cited in the incident; some have accepted deferred-prosecution deals. The rejected agreement would have dismissed the charge after six months if no further federal-property offense occurred; the charge carries up to 30 days in jail.
NYC Comptroller Brad Lander Rejects Deal, Chooses Trial After Immigration Protest Arrest
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander rejected a deferred-prosecution offer and chose to go to trial on a misdemeanor obstruction charge stemming from a Sept. 18 protest at holding rooms in 26 Federal Plaza. Lander says a trial will expose federal practices he objects to and pledged to continue protesting immigration enforcement. Eleven officials were cited in the incident; some have accepted deferred-prosecution deals. The rejected agreement would have dismissed the charge after six months if no further federal-property offense occurred; the charge carries up to 30 days in jail.
03:54 AM, 11/19/2025Politics
Comptroller Declines Deferred-Prosecution Offer, Vows to Keep Protesting
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has declined a deferred-prosecution offer and chosen to take a misdemeanor obstruction charge to trial following his arrest during a Sept. 18 protest at an immigration holding area in 26 Federal Plaza. Lander said he wants a trial to "bring to light" federal practices he objects to and pledged to continue demonstrating against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
"I want a trial," Lander said after leaving a federal courtroom in Manhattan. The charge stems from an incident in which Lander and several other public officials attempted to inspect holding rooms on the 10th floor of the federal building that also houses an immigration court and other federal offices. Eleven officials were cited and released after the encounter.
The charging document accuses Lander of "blocking entrances, foyers and corridors." Under the deferred-prosecution proposal he rejected, the obstruction charge would have been dropped after six months so long as he did not commit a crime on federal property during that period. Lander has said the misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail.
This is not the first time Lander has been arrested over immigration-related demonstrations. In June he was taken into custody at a Manhattan immigration court after linking arms with another person authorities were detaining. The earlier arrest drew attention to the normally technocratic comptroller, who ran for mayor earlier this year and cross-endorsed fellow politician Zohran Mamdani during the primary.
Response from DHS: Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized Lander’s actions, calling them "another sanctuary politician pulling a stunt in an attempt to get their 15 minutes of fame while endangering DHS personnel and detainees."
A spokesperson for federal prosecutors declined to comment. Some of the other officials involved in the Sept. 18 action have accepted deferred-prosecution agreements.
Lander said he and others plan to return to 26 Federal Plaza later in the week to continue efforts to inspect conditions inside the holding rooms, which demonstrators say should comply with a judge's order requiring capacity limits, improved cleanliness and sleeping mats among other remedies.