Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced in February that the East Meadow county jail would be open to holding individuals detained by ICE. Since then, more than 1,400 detained immigrants have passed through its jail cells.
For nearly every month over the past five months, hundreds have been transported in and out of the county jail, which has designated 50 cells for ICE to use.
In February, the first month of the partnership, 86 individuals detained by ICE were held in the county jail. This number jumped to 300 in March and 380 in April, fell to 218 in May, and reached its highest at 437 in June.
Efforts to solicit comment from Blakeman were unavailing.
The holding of immigrants detained by ICE in the county jail was part of a larger partnership between Nassau County and the federal agency, which intended to aid ICE in its actions.
The partnership also included the deputization of Nassau County police officers to be able to operate as ICE agents. These officers have received training for this, but have yet to be deputized and utilized by ICE.
“This program is about illegal migrants who have committed crimes,” Blakeman said at the announcement in February. “This isn’t about raids. This is targeted enforcement of our laws based here in the state of New York.”
Suffolk County does not have an agreement with ICE like Nassau County does.
The Nassau County Police Department has also transferred about 15 arrested individuals into ICE’s custody. These individuals had originally been arrested for violating state law, but after the fact, they were found to be in violation of federal immigration law.
State law prohibits police officers from detaining individuals for violating immigration law. Only federal agents are capable of detaining such accused offenders.
The New York Civil Liberties Union condemned the county’s actions in partnering with ICE, saying that permitting county officers to act as federal agents undermines public safety and fosters public distrust.
In June, they filed a lawsuit against the county saying that its partnership with ICE violates state law prohibiting local law enforcement from conducting civil immigration arrests for ICE and violates rights against unreasonable search and seizure. They said this will lead to rampant racial profiling.
“Despite what Bruce Blakeman may think, Nassau County cannot ignore settled state law,” Rubin Danberg-Biggs, the lead counsel on this case, said. “Local police do not have the authority to act as ICE agents — and they don’t need to.”
Blakeman called the lawsuit frivolous.
Detentions on the island have stirred controversy, including those of Port Washington bagel shop manager Fernando Mejia and four unnamed individuals at the Glen Cove Train Station.
