A federal magistrate judge has cleared a Democratic congressional hopeful of criminal charges stemming from his participation in an immigration protest in New York City last fall.
Brad Lander walked free Thursday after U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo found him not guilty of obstruction charges related to his September arrest at a building housing immigration courts.
Ricardo announced his decision following a day-long trial in Manhattan, stating “I find the defendant not guilty” after delivering a detailed review of the case evidence and Lander’s testimony. The candidate embraced his legal team enthusiastically once the proceedings concluded.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Lander, who is running against U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman in the Democratic primary, praised the judge’s careful examination of the case.
“I feel genuinely moved by the rule of law,” Lander remarked, describing it as fortunate to live where citizens can successfully challenge government overreach when facing improper charges.
The candidate expressed hope that immigrants at risk of deportation could access the same caliber of legal representation and court access he received.
Government attorneys had contended that Lander blocked an elevator on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza by sitting in front of it for approximately 20 to 25 minutes on Sept. 18, 2025. However, Ricardo determined prosecutors couldn’t demonstrate that Lander meant to obstruct the elevators or was uncooperative when federal officers provided contradictory directions to demonstrators.
Prosecutors’ representatives declined to provide statements Thursday.
During the previous day’s proceedings, Lander took the stand in his defense, stating he never meant to disrupt elevator operations in the lower Manhattan facility that accommodates 40 federal offices, including the FBI.
The former city comptroller and associate of Mayor Zohran Mamdani testified that no one instructed him to move away from the elevator or indicated he was causing an obstruction before his detention.
Following his arrest, he turned down a plea agreement that would have dropped the misdemeanor obstruction charge after six months.
This wasn’t Lander’s first legal trouble related to immigration activism. The former mayoral candidate was also detained in June 2025 at a Manhattan immigration court after linking arms with someone officials were attempting to apprehend, though no charges resulted from that incident.
