New York City Comptroller and erstwhile Democratic mayoral aspirant Brad Lander found himself in the custody of federal authorities outside an immigration court, an intervention precipitated by his physical entanglement with a detainee targeted for apprehension. Lander, present in the Manhattan federal edifice as an observer of immigration proceedings, interposed himself when agents moved to apprehend an individual egressing from a courtroom, forming a human chain in tandem with the subject and vociferously requesting judicial substantiation for the detention. Federal personnel ultimately dissolved the impromptu alliance and placed Lander under arrest. Subsequent to his release, Lander averred that his actions constituted a nonviolent remonstrance against the Trump administration's immigration directives. This incident unfolds against a backdrop of escalating nationwide detentions conducted proximate to immigration court facilities, and Lander's arrest has elicited censure from fellow Democratic contenders and political figures alike.