New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released after his arrest at an immigration court

His detainment follows a series of dramatic confrontations between federal law enforcement and Democrats opposing President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was released Tuesday hours after he was arrested in connection with an episode at a federal courthouse in the city, where he and his wife were serving as advocates for defendants in immigration court, they said.

The Department of Homeland Security said Lander, a candidate for mayor, had been arrested and accused of "assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer." In a brief statement on social media, it said: “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.”

After he was released, Lander denied assaulting law enforcement. “I will not characterize the events, but I certainly did not assault an officer,” he told reporters and a crowd of supporters who had gathered to greet him.

"We are not going to allow Donald Trump to wreck the rule of law, to deny people due process and to turn our country into something that doesn’t meet its obligations under international law," Lander said.

"We are normalizing the destruction of constitutional democracy, and we’re not going to stand by and let it happen," he added.