In Front of Our Noses: Another Democratic Official Arrested
The pattern of attempted intimidation continues.

“To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.”-George Orwell.
For previous entries, click here.
Given all that is going on, including the prospect of US direct involvement in the Iran-Israel war, it is hard to keep track of all that is going on right in front of our noses. So, allow me to highlight yet another elected official cuffed and detained by ICE.
Here’s the BBC: Federal agents arrest NYC mayoral candidate at immigration court.
New York City’s top financial officer, who is running to be its next mayor, was handcuffed and arrested by federal agents while guiding a defendant out of immigration court on Tuesday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained Brad Lander, who is the city’s comptroller, “for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer”, a spokesperson said.
Lander, who was later released, said he “certainly did not” assault an officer.
[…]
Upon his release, Lander said that no charges were being brought against him.
The comptroller said the man, who he identified as a man named Edgardo, “has been stripped of his due process rights by a government and a judge that owe him a credible threat hearing before they deport him”.
One commonality these events have is that they often are taking place in very crowded conditions wherein there is physical contact being made between the ICE and politicians (often initiated by ICE in these videos–at least as much as it is being initiated by others involved). But to call any of this “assault” is absurd.
Another commonality is that in at least some of these instances (Mayor Baraka in Newark, Senator Padilla in California, and thus far, Lander in New York) were cuffed but not charged, despite the rhetoric that comes out of DHS. So the goal seems to me to be a whole lot more about attempts at intimidation and use of force with impunity rather than actual law enforcement.
As Andrew Egger noted at The Bulwark this morning.
the story continues the pattern of Trump’s federal law enforcement agencies publicly accusing people of criminal conduct that goes beyond what they’re willing to actually charge in court. Think of last month, when Attorney General Pam Bondi repeatedly accused Kilmar Abrego Garcia of “human trafficking” during a press conference announcing charges against him—when in fact the Justice Department was charging him with the significantly milder crime of ferrying undocumented migrants around. You can say anything on Twitter or in a press conference; in an indictment, you need the facts to back you up.
The ongoing policy of the Trump administration to gaslight the public via rhetoric that they know will not stand up in court is just more of their unreality campaign.
Also, this is worth noting from that piece.
Finally—and most important—there’s the way in which ICE’s lawlessness has incentivized good samaritans to resist their enforcement efforts. Think of how ICE arrests used to go. Agents show up to take a person into custody. They may be in uniform or in plainclothes, but their faces are visible and they show their badges when asked. The person they’re arresting knows he’ll have the opportunity to speak to a lawyer, to tell his family where he’s being held, and to plead his case before a judge.
Now snap back to the present day and put yourself in Lander’s shoes. Masked agents show up to whisk a migrant away. Maybe he’ll get to tell his family where he is, maybe he won’t. Maybe he’ll have the opportunity to speak to a lawyer or plead his case to a judge, maybe he won’t. And you think to yourself: Will there be a legal process? Or am I the very last person who has a chance to intervene on this person’s behalf?
Really, if a bunch of masked dudes, many in plain clothes, show up to take someone away, it is utterly reasonable to ask for identification and a signed warrant. The assassination in Minnesota over the weekend underscores that just because someone claims to be law enforcement does not mean it is so.
One can claim that this was a stunt by Lander, who is running for mayor, but that doesn’t make ICE’s actions appropriate. Why not just show the warrant?
Here’s the video:
By the way, I have the same question as Lander: on what legal authority is ICE cuffing him, let alone taking him into custody?
The authority comes from Chairman Mao: “Political power comes from the barrel of a gun.” The idea that there is some constraint on the government hauling you off is a quaint 18th century concept. These people cutting grass, picking grapes, and shingling roofs are “criminals” and have no rights. There is no such a thing as rights; get used to it.
Marcy Wheeler has a piece at Emptywheel noting that temporary acting assistant AG Emil Bove justified dropping charges against Mayor Eric Adam’s by calling the prosecution election interference. Seems this should also apply to detaining a mayoral candidate. (Although it probably boosts his vote.)
Wheeler has added two more pieces on this, one noting that Landers has sued Noem’s DHS over DOGE “stealing” 80 million in FEMA funds from NY.
@gVOR10: I read that, although, I think the best takeaway is that Emil Bove, and generally these MAGA operatives will say whatever magic words they think will let them skate by in front of a judge. They don’t mean any of it.
@Slugger:
The American rightwing “patriots” loves themselves a big steamin’ heap ‘o Mao and Stalin garnished with a bit of Hitler (oops, I went there, but, Stephen Miller).
I wonder why these political figures don’t bring their own security (and cameras). What is the impact if a few NYC off duty cops are hired to be a phalanx for the politician?
Also, if what these ICE cops are violating laws or procedures, why are there no suits or charges being immediately filed against the violators?
All we get is weak ass press conferences after the fact.
@Rob1: I understood that conservatives–especially fundy-evangelical ones–appreciated the proper kind of authoritarianism from about 12 or 13 years old. Good to see some consistency in the movement. Lord knows there hasn’t been much recently.
I’d note that the prospect of the US stepping into the Iran-Israel is part and parcel of this episode with Lander you are putting in front of our noses in the OP.
As Andrew Egger notes in your excerpt from the Bulwark:
In the Iran-Israel-US conflict, the Trump administration will gaslight the public about the situation on the ground in that conflict via rhetoric that they know will not stand up in any war room planning. It is just more of their unreality framework, so they can claim credit if something works and assign blame if it fails.
It would be interesting to see the outcome if a public official compelled the Trump DOJ to charge them in court of the precise criminality they are now charging in the court of public opinion. Expose the gaslighting as much as possible by calling their bluff.