New York, NY (June 17, 2025) – Following the unlawful arrest of Comptroller Brad Lander, NYC Council Member Pierina Sanchez released the following statement: 

“The arrest of Comptroller Brad Lander by ICE is a fascist tactic pulled straight from the authoritarian playbook. It is not law enforcement — it is repression of dissent, and the weaponization of federal power against those who speak up for justice.

Let’s be absolutely clear: this arrest is illegal.

ICE has no legal authority to detain or arrest a United States citizen. Period. Under federal immigration law (8 U.S.C. §§ 1226 and 1231), ICE can only detain non-citizens. Courts have repeatedly ruled — including in Liranzo v. United States and Gonzalez v. ICE — that detaining U.S. citizens under immigration authority is unconstitutional and violates the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. There is no statutory basis, no legal justification, and no excuse for what has happened.

This act is not just un-American — it is unlawful. It is a blatant abuse of power. It should terrify every single one of us.

If this is what the federal government is doing to a sitting Comptroller of New York City — an elected official, a public watchdog, and a candidate for mayor — what are they doing to everyday New Yorkers? To people without titles or visibility? To undocumented immigrants, working-class families, and people living in the shadows?

They are disappearing people. Terrorizing our communities. Violating the Constitution.

This is political repression — plain and simple. And we will not be silent.

We demand answers. We demand accountability. And we demand the immediate release and protection of Comptroller Brad Lander and every individual ICE has unlawfully detained.”