Former NYC Comptroller Brad Lander Acquitted

Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was found not guilty on Thursday of a misdemeanor charge for obstructing an elevator and lobby at a federal immigration facility in Manhattan last year. The verdict came after a one-day bench trial before a magistrate judge.

Lander, 56, was arrested on September 18, 2025, alongside approximately ten other elected officials at 26 Federal Plaza, a building housing an immigration court and federal agency offices. The group had attempted to inspect holding rooms on the building's non-public 10th floor, citing reports of overcrowded and unsanitary conditions for detained immigrants. When they were denied access, they sat on the floor in the elevator lobby area.

Prosecutors argued that Lander had unreasonably obstructed the usual use of the facility by sitting directly in front of an elevator for 20 to 25 minutes, ignoring multiple orders to move while chanting "We shall not be moved." Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Cohen presented this as the central issue of the trial.

In his defense, Lander testified that his purpose was not to block the elevator but to conduct an inspection in his then-official capacity as comptroller. His attorney,...