Following the apprehension of an individual by federal agents within the confines of an immigration court, an individual whom the authorities had been attempting to detain, New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral hopeful Brad Lander found himself taken into custody.

At the time, Rand was ensconced within a Manhattan federal edifice, observing proceedings at an immigration court. As agents stormed the courtroom to apprehend a man who had just concluded his hearing and was exiting, Rand interceded, grasping the man's arm and demanding the presentation of a judicial warrant for arrest. The agents ultimately disentangled the two, taking Rand into custody.

Upon his release, Lande asserted that his actions were solely motivated by a commitment to non-violent protest against the Trump administration's immigration policies, framing his conduct as a principled act of civil disobedience.

The apprehension of Rand transpired amidst a palpable upsurge in large-scale immigration enforcement actions proximate to immigration courts nationwide, an escalation that has elicited censure from fellow Democratic contenders and political figures alike, who have decried the arrest as an egregious overreach.