New York Note: Lander Detained by ICE, Session Concludes, Early Voting, Albany Power 100

June 23, 2025

Lander Detained by ICE

On June 17, New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was briefly detained inside the Manhattan federal immigration courthouse by masked ICE agents. Federal authorities claimed that Lander assaulted an officer while escorting an immigrant defendant; Lander strongly denies any wrongdoing. Governor Kathy Hochul rushed to the scene, and after intervention, the charges were dropped and Lander was released. Hochul has condemned the arrest as “outrageous”, reflecting widespread Democratic criticism of the incident. The event has heightened tensions over aggressive federal immigration enforcement and prompted calls from state leaders for clarity about ICE’s actions.

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New York State Session Concludes

The 2025 New York State legislative session ended last Tuesday. The Senate wrapped up early on Friday, June 13, while the Assembly stayed on the floor an extra three days (working Monday and Tuesday) to finish its work. 563 bills received final approval from both chambers in the last week of session, including the Medical Aid in Dying Act, a prison and parole reform omnibus bill, the Wrongful Death Act, the FAIR Business Practices Act, and the Responsible AI Safety and Education Act. It is highly anticipated that the Governor will call a special session this fall focused on the budget, given likely federal funding cuts to the state.

Early Voting Begins

Early voting opened on June 14 for New York City’s primary elections, which will culminate with Election Day on June 24. Turnout has been unusually strong: about 300,000 New Yorkers voted in the first eight days, over double the early-vote pace in 2021. Young voters, especially in liberal Brooklyn districts, are driving the surge, a trend seen as favorable to progressive Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. Recent polling still shows former Gov. Andrew Cuomo leading Mamdani by roughly 55% to 45% in a ranked-choice tally, but Mamdani holds a dominant lead among voters under 45. In the wake of the final campaign debate, Mamdani and City Comptroller Brad Lander publicly cross-endorsed each other to consolidate progressive support.

City & State 2025 Albany Power 100

Katrell Lewis has been recognized by City & State in the 2025 Albany Power 100 for his leadership in advancing affordable housing and community initiatives across New York. Katrell helped secure $400 million in state funding and championed reforms to the affordable homeownership program in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. He also played a key role in securing support for local nonprofits, including the Harlem YMCA and Brooklyn United.

Upcoming Webinar

Join us for a Post-Election Analysis: NYC Primary webinar on Wednesday, June 25 at 2:00 PM EST.  Click here to register.

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About Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.

About Cozen O’Connor

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