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(NEW YORK) — Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller and a candidate for mayor, was arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer while at an immigration court on Tuesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Lander, a Democrat, was escorting a defendant out of immigration court in Manhattan on Tuesday when he was “taken by masked agents and detained” by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, his campaign spokesperson, Dora Pekec, said in a statement.

A DHS spokesperson said in a statement that “it is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement safety to get a viral moment.”

“No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences,” the spokesperson added.

Lander’s wife, Meg Barnette, told reporters she was accompanying him to the courthouse on Tuesday to “stand witness to what was going on.” She said Lander and others had “linked arms” with a man and had repeatedly asked to see a judicial warrant containing evidence of the grounds for the man’s deportation when they were “swarmed” by masked agents.

“I am confident Brad’s going to be out soon and am very proud of him for standing up,” Barnette said during a press briefing. “It’s a really sobering and upsetting situation that I haven’t quite processed all the way yet.”

She said he is being held in the building and has retained an attorney.

Lander was elected comptroller in 2021. He is one of several candidates running in the Democratic mayoral primary slated for June 24.

His detainment has drawn swift condemnation from New York officials, including his fellow mayoral candidates.

Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblymember and Democratic mayoral candidate, called for Lander’s release.

“NYC Comptroller Brad Lander was just arrested by Trump’s ICE agents because he asked to see a judicial warrant,” Mamdani said in a statement on social media. “This is fascism and all New Yorkers must speak in one voice. Release him now.”

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is also running for NYC mayor, said the incident is the “latest example of the extreme thuggery of Trump’s ICE out of control.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James called Lander’s arrest “profoundly unacceptable.”

“Arresting Comptroller Lander for the simple act of standing up for immigrants and their civil rights is a shocking abuse of power,” she said in a statement. “No one should face fear and intimidation in a courthouse, and this is a grotesque escalation of tensions. The administration’s rampant targeting of New Yorkers only makes our communities less safe.”

ABC News’ Luke Barr contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla became emotional as he spoke on the Senate floor about being forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference last week in Los Angeles.

“If you watch what unfolded last week and that what happened is just about one politician and one press conference, you’re missing the point,” Padilla said. “If that is what the administration is willing to do to a United States senator for having the authority to simply ask a question — imagine what they’ll do to any American who dares to speak up.”

Padilla said a National Guard member and an FBI agent escorted him into the news conference. He said he was in the same building for a different meeting.

“I was physically and aggressively forced out of the room, even as I repeatedly announced I was a United States senator and I had a question for the secretary,” he said. “And even as the National guardsman and the FBI agent who served as my escorts and brought me into that press briefing room stood by — silently, knowing full well who I was. You’ve seen the video. I was pushed and pulled, struggled to maintain my balance.”

Padilla got emotional, struggling to explain what happened last week.

“I was forced to the ground, first on my knees, and then flat on my chest, and as I was handcuffed and marched down a hallway repeatedly asking, ‘Why am I being detained?'” he said.

“I pray you never have a moment like this,” he added.

“‘Am I being arrested here? What will a city already on edge from being militarized think when they see their United States senator being handcuffed just for trying to ask a question? And what will my wife think? What will our boys think?,'” he continued.

Padilla warned about the precedent set by President Donald Trump’s deploying Marines and the National Guard to Los Angeles.

“What’s happening is not just a threat to California, it’s a threat to everyone in every state,” he said. “If Donald Trump can bypass the governor and activate the National Guard to put down protests on immigrant rights, he can do it to suppress your rights, too. If he can deploy the Marines to Los Angeles without justification, he can deploy them to your state, too,” he added.

Padilla received a loud round of applause from some senators in the chamber.

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(WASHINGTON) — Senators received a security briefing from U.S. Capitol Police and the Senate Sergeant at Arms on Tuesday following the shooting of Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota that some senators called “troubling” and “disturbing.”

The briefing focused on member safety after it came to light that a number of members of Congress were included on a list found inside the suspected shooters vehicle. Lawmakers leaving the roughly hourlong briefing were largely tight-lipped about what sort of recommendations were made in the room.

But Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who jointly requested the briefing with Majority Leader John Thune, said there was a bipartisan push for additional funding to be appropriated for member safety.

The push for improved security measures comes after a masked gunman disguised as a police officer shot and killed Democratic State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their Minnesota home. The gunman also wounded State Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the shootings an “act of targeted political violence.”

Almost two days later, authorities arrested the suspected gunman, Vance Boelter. Authorities say Boelter had listed the names of several politicians in documents found in his possession, among them: Michigan Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar, Ohio Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, and Wisconsin Democrats, Rep. Mark Pocan and Rep. Gwen Moore.

Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and Republican Sen. David McCormick spoke during the meeting to suggest more money be appropriated for member safety, Schumer said.

“The violence, the threats, against elected officials including people in the Senate has dramatically increased and that means we need more protection, more money, we need — everybody: Democrat and Republican,” Schumer said.

Schumer also called for elected officials to tone down the politically violent rhetoric.

“The rhetoric that’s encouraging violence is coming from too many powerful people in this country, and we need firm, strong denouncement of all violence and violent rhetoric, that should be from the president and from all of the elected officials,” he said.

During the briefing with senators, there was discussion of a number of measures being taken to protect them. Most lawmakers declined to comment on those measures.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said there was also discussion in the room of the various threats facing members. He called it “disturbing” to hear.

Kaine declined to get into the specific recommendations made in the room. So too did Minnesota Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, who thanked Capitol Police for their involvement in keeping her safe in Minnesota over the weekend.

“I just think it was a very helpful review of the kinds of ways that Capitol Police can help to keep members, and our families and our staffs safe. I appreciate it very much and I very much appreciate the help that they provided to me this weekend,” Smith said.

But when pushed on what suggestions were made in the room she declined to share more.

“I think it’s important for member safety that we don’t talk a lot about what is being done to keep us safe in order to keep us safe,” Smith said.

On Monday, ahead of the briefing, Republican Sen. Mike Rounds lamented that security threats are something those in public service are unfortunately aware of.

“All of us are aware that there is a risk involved, it is unfortunate that you have something like this where you have to have a loss of life of state legislators. It is something I think that we all, we watch, but it’s not something that we dwell on.”

While House and Senate leadership are provided with a security detail, rank-and-file members are not routinely protected unless there is a specific threat.

On Monday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Joe Morelle, the top-ranked Democrat on the House Committee on Administration, called for increased security for House members and to “substantially increase” money available for members to take additional security precautions.

In a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, Jeffries and Morelle called for him to “take all necessary steps to protect House members throughout the country.”

“At the same time, it is imperative that we substantially increase the Member Representational Allowance (MRA) to support additional safety and security measures in every single office,” the letter said.

House Democrats are set to hold a similar virtual briefing from law enforcement on Tuesday afternoon.

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(WASHINGTON) — In a lengthy post on X on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance came to the defense of President Donald Trump after supporters like Tucker Carlson and those in the MAGA base have been outspoken about the U.S. not getting involved in the war between Israel and Iran.

“First, POTUS has been amazingly consistent, over 10 years, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Over the last few months, he encouraged his foreign policy team to reach a deal with the Iranians to accomplish this goal,” Vance wrote on X. “The president has made clear that Iran cannot have uranium enrichment. And he said repeatedly that this would happen one of two ways–the easy way or the “other” way.”

Vance continued, explaining the difference between “civilian nuclear power” and “uranium enrichment.” The vice president told his followers that Iran has “been found in violation of their non-proliferation obligations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”

“He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president,” Vance wrote. “And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue. And having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish American people’s goals. Whatever he does, that is his focus.”

Vance’s comments come amid a quickly escalating divide among some of Trump’s most vocal supporters being led in part by two prominent Trump allies: Trump’s longtime adviser Steve Bannon and Carlson, the right-wing commentator — who continue to speak out against U.S. involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict.

Bannon went on Carlson’s podcast Monday night and warned that further involvement would “blow up” the Trump coalition and derail the president’s national agenda, particularly on immigration.

“If we get sucked into this war, which inexorably looks like it’s going to happen on the combat side, it’s going to not just blow up the coalition, it’s also gonna thwart what we’re doing with the most important thing, which is the deportation of the illegal alien invaders that are here,” he said.

Earlier Monday, Carlson appeared on Bannon’s show and said the move could lead to “the end of the American empire” and could “effectively” end Trump’s presidency. LINK

Trump swatted down Carlson’s comments, calling him “Kooky” in a post on Truth Social and telling reporters Carlson should “get a television network and say it so that people listen.”

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said overnight that calling Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after a political assassination sent shockwaves through the state would be a “waste of time.”

Trump was asked if he’d reach out to Walz, who was the vice presidential running mate for the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee Kamala Harris, as he returned to Washington after leaving the G7 summit early.

“I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I’m not calling him,” Trump said. “Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ Uh, the guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?”

Trump told ABC News on Sunday that he “may” call Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after a political assassination sent shockwaves through the state.

The president, who condemned the violence, called the Democratic governor a “terrible governor” and “grossly incompetent” in an interview with ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott.
“Well, it’s a terrible thing. I think he’s a terrible governor. I think he’s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too,” the president told Scott.

As of Monday afternoon, Walz had not heard from the president, according to a source.

Minnesota is reeling from two back-to-back shootings. Authorities say a masked gunman disguised as a police officer shot and killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, a former speaker of the state House, and her husband Mark, and wounded a state senator and his wife early Saturday.

The accused gunman, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, was captured late Sunday night.

Walz called the shootings an “act of targeted political violence.”

The president condemned the violence shortly after the attack.

“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place,” he said.

A source close the Walz told ABC News that Walz and Vice President JD Vance spoke regarding the shootings.

“The Governor expressed appreciation for the ongoing coordination between federal law enforcement and Minnesota public safety officials,” the person said.

A source told ABC News on Sunday that former President Joe Biden called Walz “right away.”

A source familiar with the call described the conversation on Monday as “compassionate.” The pair spoke about grief, Biden offered his condolences and “discussed Hortman’s legacy,” the source said, Biden had met Hortman and told Walz he “was a fan,” the source said.

The White House said in a statement that the FBI and the attorney general’s office will investigate the shootings and “will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law.”

Police say the suspected gunman allegedly had dozens of Minnesota Democrats on a target list, which was retrieved from the his vehicle.

The assassination comes amid growing concerns about political violence in the U.S. following the recent killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, the arson attack at the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and the attempted assassination of Trump last summer.

ABC News’ Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.

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