Brad Lander, the NYC Comptroller who finished third in the June Democratic primary for the city’s mayor, argued in favor of protecting immigrants against “unconstitutional” immigration enforcement.
Emily Akbar
Staff Writer, The Buckley Beacon
On Tuesday night, the Yale Political Union (YPU) hosted New York City Comptroller Brad Lander who debated in the affirmative on the resolution entitled, “Save the Sanctuary City.”
Lander, a progressive Democrat, served on the New York City Council for twelve years since 2010, and then Comptroller from 2022 and onward. As Comptroller, Lander focused on improving public infrastructure, securing affordable housing, and protecting workers. Recently, Lander finished in third place with over 11 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. Lander supported Zohran Mamdani in the general election.
In his speech at the YPU, Lander argued in favor of protecting sanctuary cities, such as New York City, from federal incursions for economic, safety, and constitutional reasons.
Lander outlined how the 10th Amendment deems compliance with immigration detainers as voluntary rather than mandatory, and federal attempts to force local jurisdictions to comply with immigration enforcement are “plainly unconstitutional.”
Lander referenced a case that occurred this Monday, where federal judge Mae A. D’Agostino ruled in favor of New York in a lawsuit against the Trump administration that aimed to enable ICE agents to make arrests in courthouses. Citing the 2020 New York State law known as the Protect Our Courts Act, which made it more difficult for ICE agents to conduct arrests at courthouses, Lander praised D’Agostino’s ruling as it affirmed this 2020 law.
“It’s important to recognize sanctuary policies are grounded in the 10th Amendment protection that the federal government cannot compel jurisdictions to take part in immigration enforcement against their will,” Lander stressed.
Lander highlighted the importance of discussing sanctuary cities, amidst the Trump Administration’s recent crackdown on immigrants. Since Trump’s return to office, the administration has recorded nearly 350,000 deportations, and over 59,200 migrants are currently in ICE detention. “It’s especially critical at this moment when the Trump administration is attacking sanctuary cities, not only to effectuate mass deportation, but to provoke chaos, to erode democratic representation, and impose executive power without constitutional grounding,” Lander said.
Trump’s recent deployment of ICE agents and National Guard troops have raised concerns. For instance, Trump’s deployment of troops in Portland, Oregon in late September led the state to challenge the constitutionality of the act on the grounds that no “national emergency” necessitated it.
“It’s not only about keeping our cities safer by making it possible for people to report crimes. It really is this moment about protecting Constitutional democracy,” Lander added.
Lander still recognized the authority that the federal government maintained, citing Article 1 of the Constitution which details the power of the legislative branch. “At the state and local level, we don’t set border policy,” he said. “We don’t decide to become a citizen or a legal permanent resident. We don’t set protective status. We don’t do any of those things. That is, in fact, the prerogative of the federal government. But once people are in our jurisdictions, they are our residents.”
In addressing what he referred to as common misconceptions of sanctuary policies, Lander argued that sanctuary cities do not conceal immigrants from deportation or prosecution for criminal activity. He contended that state and local police still enforce state and local criminal laws against anyone, regardless of their immigration status.
“Sanctuary policies, alas, in my opinion, don’t set immigration policy,” Lander told the audience. “We don’t decide who’s allowed into the country. We don’t decide what the pathways to citizenship or legal permanent residents are. We don’t decide what the protective statuses might be.”
Lander insisted that “not a single study has shown a link between sanctuary city policies and increased crime.” He also defended the safety of sanctuary cities, citing a study by the Center for American Progress which found that there are 35 fewer violent and property crimes committed per 10,000 people in sanctuary cities than in other cities nationwide.
Lander also recounted his own arrest in September after a standoff with ICE agents, a charge for which he is currently seeking a federal trial. “Since June, I’ve been going at least once a week down to 26 Federal Plaza, where New York City has its immigration courts, and sitting with hearing after hearing after hearing and then walking people out,” Lander said.
To close, Lander stressed the importance of human rights in immigration, and how the current Trump administration’s policies increasingly grow inconsistent with that. “There’s something fundamental in human rights about being a human being. And yet here we are stuck trying to figure out how we honor that in the constraints that the nation state provides.”
Earlier this month, Lander expressed that he is “very seriously considering” running against New York Democratic Representative Dan Goldman for his House seat.