Brad Lander Trial Hinges on Alleged 26 Federal Plaza Elevator Blockage

A trial opened Wednesday in Manhattan federal court over allegations that former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander obstructed an elevator bank at 26 Federal Plaza during an attempted inspection of immigration detention holding rooms. The case turns on whether Lander blocked access to elevators on the 10th floor of the federal building on September 18 last year.

Lander was arrested along with 10 other elected officials after the group tried to inspect rooms where detained immigrants were being held. Prosecutors say he ignored warnings to move; Lander says he did not obstruct the elevator and was acting in an official oversight role.

Lander testified that his purpose was to examine the hold rooms because of concerns about conditions and safety. He said the elevator nearest to him did not activate and that he would have moved if it had. His attorney, Deirdre von Dornum, argued that he was not blocking the elevator bank and that the visit was aimed at checking reported overcrowding.

Prosecutor Ariel Cohen told the court the narrow question is whether Lander “unreasonably obstructed the usual use of the elevators and the elevator lobby,” and said he ignored multiple instructions to step aside. Lander has disputed that account, saying he did not intend to impede access and would have moved if the elevator had opened.

Detentions at the courthouse and the inspection effort

The events unfolded as Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased detentions linked to immigration court proceedings at 26 Federal Plaza, a major immigration courthouse in New York City. Lander and other officials sought access to the hold rooms to assess compliance with a court order requiring improvements to conditions, according to court filings described by his legal team.

Those filings said average detention times at 26 Federal Plaza rose sharply, from six hours in early 2025 to 103 hours by mid-June 2025. A federal judge had previously ordered improvements to conditions in the holding rooms, after claims of overcrowded conditions. The officials said they were attempting to verify whether the ordered changes were being implemented.

What the court is being asked to decide

The trial focused on elevator access and movement in the 10th-floor lobby area during the September 18 incident. Prosecutors argue Lander’s conduct interfered with normal elevator use. The defense maintains he did not block an elevator and that the case grew out of an effort to inspect a facility where immigrants were being held for extended periods.

The proceedings are expected to continue with further testimony and arguments, with the judge weighing the competing accounts of what happened in the elevator lobby and whether the conduct meets the standard for an obstruction violation.