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4h ago

Brad Lander Cleared in Trial Over 26 Federal Plaza Protest

A judge found the congressional candidate not guilty of a misdemeanor obstruction charge, highlighting disputed accounts of the September inspection of ICE holding rooms.

Democrat Brad Lander approaches microphones outside a federal court in New York on Thursday, June 11, 2026, after a judge exonerated him on a misdemeanor obstruction charge stemming from an immigration protest last September. (AP Photo/Larry Neumeister)
Brad Lander, former New York City comptroller and US Democratic House candidate for New York, is given microphones as he arrives at federal court in New York, US, on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
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Overview

  • A federal magistrate judge found Brad Lander not guilty after a one-day bench trial that began Wednesday, June 10, in Manhattan federal court.
  • Prosecutors had argued Lander sat in front of an elevator for about 20 to 25 minutes and ignored warnings to move, a claim Lander denied in his testimony.
  • Prosecutors told the court they would not seek jail time if Lander were convicted, and Lander rejected a plea earlier that he said would bar him from protesting at federal buildings.
  • Lander and other elected officials attempted to inspect 10th-floor holding rooms at 26 Federal Plaza because a federal judge had ordered DHS and ICE to improve detention conditions.
  • Reporting has varied on how many people were arrested during the September action, and the case underscores broader tensions between enforcement agencies and public officials pressing for transparency.