Verdict

A New York judge ruled on Thursday that Brad Lander, a Democratic candidate for New York's 10th congressional district, is not guilty of misdemeanor charges related to an incident at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan.

Incident

Lander was arrested in September along with 75 others, including nearly a dozen elected officials, during an attempt to inspect the living conditions at an immigration detention facility in the building. The group acted after a federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to improve detention conditions.

Charges and Trial

Lander was accused of unreasonably obstructing the usual use of the elevator lobby. He declined a plea deal and opted for a bench trial, which took place on Wednesday.

Statements

After the verdict, Lander expressed appreciation for the legal process and criticized what he described as denial of legal access to immigrants by Trump and ICE. He stated that his goal is for all individuals facing removal proceedings to have equal access to the rule of law.

"His goal is for all individuals facing removal proceedings to have equal access to the rule of law."

Previous Incident

Lander was also arrested in June at a federal courthouse in New York, where he was accused of assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer. He denied those charges.

Background

Lander, a former New York City comptroller, lost the mayoral race last year and is now running for the U.S. House of Representatives.