Fmr. Obama ICE Director: Lander Engaged in ‘Publicity Stunt’, Doesn’t Have Right to ‘Impede Federal Agents’
On Tuesday’s broadcast of “NewsNation Now,” John Sandweg, who served as acting ICE Director under President Obama, stated that New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander’s (D) arrest was “a publicity stunt from a guy running for mayor.” And that while arresting people at immigration court doesn’t help public safety and is really just about getting quick arrests, “that doesn’t give you a right to go impede federal agents who are making an arrest.”
Host Connell McShane asked, “I said earlier, John, to me, this was different than what we saw with Sen. Padilla (D-CA). It’s not lost on anyone that this guy’s — could be looking for attention running for mayor in New York, okay? So, he shows up at this courthouse. You still have the question, though, about who’s in the right and who’s in the wrong? So, you watched that video, and what would you say about that?”
Sandweg responded, “I think you got it right. It’s a publicity stunt from a guy running for mayor. Look, I think there are reasons to question this ICE tactic of arresting people who are going to immigration court. I don’t think you’re promoting public safety by doing it. These are people already in the system. It’s just a way to rack up some quick arrest numbers. But that doesn’t give you a right to go impede federal agents who are making an arrest. They don’t need a judicial warrant to make an arrest in a public space like the immigration courthouse. At the end of the day, this was just a publicity stunt.”
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