1. United States
2. Okla.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my profound alarm and indignation over the arrest of New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on June 17, 2025, outside the immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza. Video footage shows Comptroller Lander in the hallway, calmly requesting to see a judicial warrant and asserting that ICE lacks authority to arrest U.S. citizens—only to be forcibly pinned, handcuffed, and detained on charges of “obstruction of governmental administration”. He was there merely to accompany an immigrant whose case had been dismissed pending appeal—an act of civic support, not defiance. This incident is part of a documented – and alarming – surge in courthouse arrests by ICE agents. According to The Guardian, arrests of non-criminal immigrants have risen by 807% since January. Public figures such as fellow mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani called it “fascism”, while Congressman Greg Casar denounced it as “illegal and outrageous”. These coordinated federal tactics—marked by masked agents detaining elected officials and law-abiding immigrants without visible warrants—represent a deeply disturbing erosion of due process and democratic accountability. Accordingly, I urge you to take immediate action: 1. Publicly condemn the arrest of Comptroller Lander and demand his prompt release if still in custody. 2. Initiate a Congressional inquiry into the legality of ICE operations at courthouses—including chains of command, warrant protocols, and oversight measures. 3. Introduce legislation curtailing ICE’s jurisdiction at state and local judicial facilities to safeguard civil rights and prevent politically motivated detentions. 4. This is not merely a defense of one man—it is a defense of the constitutional rights of all Americans. If members of Congress and other public officials can be arrested under such circumstances, so can any citizen. I respectfully request your response on what steps you will take to address this serious threat to our democratic norms.