By Gloria Pazmino, CNN

(CNN) — New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was released from federal custody Tuesday afternoon, hours after he was arrested by officers at immigration court in Manhattan after he tried to escort a migrant whom officers were attempting to arrest.

His arrest is the latest involving a Democratic politician in an immigration-related incident.

Lander, who is running in a crowded Democratic mayoral primary set to take place next week, had been monitoring immigration court activity in the past few days, walking alongside migrants as they exited their court appointments in response to reports that the migrants were being taken into custody by federal agents following court appearances.

Lander, an elected government official in New York City for more than a decade walked out of Federal Plaza, where the New York ICE field office is located, nearly four hours after his arrest accompanied by his wife and Gov. Kathy Hochul, who joined a throng of supporters – including several of the other mayoral candidates – gathered outside the complex as news of his arrest spread.

“I’m gonna sleep in my bed tonight, safe with my family,” Lander said to reporters and a crowd of supporters. “I’m grateful to hear that the charges are not being brought, but if they are, I’ve got a lawyer. I don’t have to worry about my due process rights.”

Lander’s arrest is the latest example of the national political unrest over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Last month, the Department of Justice charged Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver with assaulting federal law enforcement during a chaotic melee that erupted outside an ICE detention facility in New Jersey. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested but prosecutors dropped a federal trespassing charge.

Following his release, Lander said he wanted to bring attention to the dozens of migrants in New York City who are showing up to court proceedings only to be taken into custody by federal agents after their cases are dismissed.

Lander said migrants were being “stripped” of their due process rights, often appearing in court without legal representation and with limited understanding that they would be subject to arrest after their court hearing.

“Before today I had walked four families out – all of whom were afraid that they were going to be detained by ICE agents,” Lander said. “And yet they were able to walk out of the building, even though they had had their cases dismissed and are subject to expedited removal, but were nonetheless able to get out of that building and at least get back to their kids, get back to their families, try to figure out what’s next.”

The Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary accused Lander of blocking the work of law enforcement.

“New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer. Our heroic ICE law enforcement officers face a 413% increase in assaults against them—it is wrong that politicians seeking higher office undermine law enforcement safety to get a viral moment. No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

Hochul, who was inside the federal court building while Lander remained in custody initially responded to news of his arrest, calling it “bullsh*t.”

“We’re a far better country than what we’re experiencing,” Hochul told reporters. “This is New York. This is New York, land of immigrants. We’re proud of them.”

In the lead up to his arrest, multiple videos show Lander standing next to a man locking arms with him as officers approached. After the officers asked Lander to step aside to arrest the man, a scuffle broke out between the officers, Lander and other bystanders who tried to block the arrest.

“You don’t have a judicial warrant,” Lander can be heard saying to the officers.

The videos show Lander holding on to the man as officers struggled and ultimately moved in to arrest him. At one point, an officer puts his arm up to Lander’s neck, shoving him against a wall and placing him in handcuffs.

“While escorting a defendant out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, Brad was taken by masked agents and detained by ICE,” Dora Pekec, Lander’s campaign spokesperson, said in a statement.

As he was placed in handcuffs, Lander could be heard telling federal officers: “You don’t have the authority to arrest US citizens, I’m not obstructing. I’m standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant.”

A spokesperson for the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York said they are investigating.

“The safety and security of official proceedings, government officials, law enforcement officers, and all members of the public who participate in them is a core focus of our Office. The Department of Justice will prosecute violations of federal law.”

Federal law prohibits assaults on law enforcement and other public officials, destruction of property and obstruction of official proceedings, the spokesperson added.

State Attorney General Letitia James, an ally of Lander who has endorsed his mayoral campaign, told CNN Tuesday that Lander did not assault any officers and she believes officers are arresting migrants at courts because they are under pressure to meet arrest quotas.

“It wasn’t performative,” James said. “He had no intentions of getting arrested. All that he was doing as he has done in the past, was to escort an individual.”

Lander, who said he was not charged with any crime, said he would “let the case play out,” and denied the arrest was an orchestrated stunt in the last days before the election.

“I did not come today expecting to be arrested,” Lander said, adding that he felt he had failed because the migrant he had sought to escort out of the building on Tuesday had ultimately been taken into custody by federal officers.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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