Legal Defense Fund (LDF) Associate Director-Counsel Todd A. Cox issued the following statement in response to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrest of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander inside an immigration courthouse:
“The arrest of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander reflects a pattern of DHS arrests of officials who ask questions or challenge this administration’s xenophobic immigration enforcement practices. Last week, Senator Alex Padilla was arrested by federal officers after asking DHS Secretary Kristi Noem a question during a press conference. Representative LaMonica McIver was indicted after visiting an immigration detention center in Newark to exercise her oversight authority and investigate the facility’s practices. Mayor Ras Baraka was charged with trespassing for the same incident, although the charges against him have been dropped. The arrests of these officials increase the already deep polarization in our communities, and the distrust of our criminal, immigration, and legal systems.
“LDF vehemently condemns any hallmarks of authoritarianism in our democracy, including attempts to intimidate elected officials and the unjust criminalization of immigrants.”
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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.
