NEW YORK (AP) — A candidate for Congress received his requested court hearing Wednesday to contest misdemeanor charges filed against him following his arrest last summer during a demonstration with fellow elected officials at a New York City immigration detention facility.
The Democratic candidate took the witness stand in Manhattan federal court, defending himself against allegations that he blocked an elevator while sitting nearby during the demonstration on the 10th floor of a federal building in lower Manhattan housing 40 federal agencies, including the FBI.
The magistrate judge presiding over the bench trial announced he will deliver his decision Thursday morning.
Government attorneys argued Lander violated the law because he positioned himself in front of elevator doors that remained closed throughout the 20 to 25 minutes he sat on the floor in a circle with fellow politicians. If convicted, prosecutors indicated they would not pursue imprisonment.
Lander, who previously served as the city’s comptroller and maintains an alliance with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, testified that no one instructed him to move away from the elevator or informed him he was blocking access before his detention.
“We were chanting: ‘We shall not be moved,’” he said. “The idea is to say: ‘We’re here for our immigrant neighbors and we’re not going to stop showing up and defending their rights.’”
Lander is mounting a challenge against U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman in a liberal district encompassing lower Manhattan and sections of brownstone Brooklyn.
The candidate, who sought the mayor’s office last year, was detained alongside 10 other legislators on Sept. 18 following their attempt to examine detention facilities at 26 Federal Plaza, which also contains an immigration court.
Several weeks later, he declined a plea agreement that would have dismissed the misdemeanor obstruction charges after six months.
Following his detention, Lander faced criticism from then-Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who issued a statement characterizing him as “another sanctuary politician pulling a stunt in attempt to get their 15 minutes of fame while endangering DHS personnel and detainees.”
