New York City comptroller Brad Lander was among 11 Democratic elected officials arrested Thursday amid a protest at a Manhattan ICE office, outlets report.

A person voices his opinion at 26 Federal Plaza, in New York City in July. The federal building at 26 Federal Plaza is becoming the focus of immigration enforcement in New York as it is home to the ICE headquarters and one of New York's three immigration courts. Photo by Angelina Katsanis/UPI UPI

Sept. 19 (UPI) -- New York City comptroller Brad Lander was among 11 Democratic elected officials arrested Thursday amid a protest at a Manhattan Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency office.

In total, some 71 protestors were arrested at the 26 Federal Plaza building, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

The officials had been seeking entrance to the building's 10th floor, "to conduct oversight of conditions in ICE's de facto detention facility," he said, according to the outlet.

A federal judge recently ordered ICE to address overcrowding and sanitation in the holding cells.

When the officials were not permitted to see the cells, they sat down and chanted, and were arrested around 3:45 p.m., The New York Times reported.

"If the law is being followed, you should let us observe. If there is nothing to hide, why wouldn't you let us observe?" said Brooklyn assemblyman Robert C. Carroll.

Another protest took place at the garage entrance of the building