Since the start of the year, ICE has detained over 1,600 undocumented immigrants on Long Island, many of whom have prior convictions, including members of MS-13, murderers, and international fugitives, as reported by federal authorities.
Under President Trump’s tougher enforcement policies, all individuals detained have been pre-convicted, which seems to suggest they were expected to be deported, while some remain in limbo waiting for their cases to be resolved.
“Starting January 20th, ICE has dramatically ramped up its immigration enforcement efforts, with additional backing from various federal and local law enforcement agencies,” the agency informed a news outlet regarding their operations in the area.
The agency expressed appreciation for ongoing collaboration with Nassau County law enforcement.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman recently signed a contract to provide cell phones for immigrant detainees. He also reached an agreement with the federal government to assign 10 local detectives to assist ICE in apprehending undocumented individuals.
“ICE, along with its partners, is doing what politicians in ‘sanctuary’ areas are resisting. It’s about the safety of Americans,” noted the agency, as they dismissed what they see as liberal policies that prevent police from working in tandem with immigration agents.
ICE shared that many of those apprehended have serious criminal backgrounds, including gang affiliations and murder, yet they wouldn’t specify how many of the 1,600 detainees had violent histories or if others without criminal records were also picked up.
Blakeman commented recently, “ICE is proactive in pursuing criminals.” He acknowledged that in their operations, there might be collateral detentions, but emphasized, “they’re not raiding schools or churches.”
Nassau Assemblyman Seth Coslow, a Democrat who is opposing Blakeman in an upcoming election, criticized the collaboration with ICE on serious crime cases and stressed the need to protect undocumented immigrants who haven’t committed violent crimes.
If he wins, Coslow implied he would work to dismantle this cooperation.
“Resources in Nassau County should aim to help eliminate violence, rather than target hard-working residents,” he stated.
On the other hand, Suffolk County officials have distanced themselves from ICE associations recently due to a substantial court ruling tied to their previous dealings with the sheriff’s office.
Nevertheless, federal agents still maintain a presence in Suffolk. For instance, Islip has been using taxpayer-funded facilities for ICE training, while local fire station parking lots in Brentwood were repurposed by ICE for their operations.
ICE also relies on local cooperation regarding undocumented detainees, with both Nassau and Suffolk sheriffs providing advance notice to ICE when certain individuals are nearing release from custody.
Between January and June, there were 635 detainees reported on Long Island, with 341 in Nassau and 294 in Suffolk, primarily involving Central and South American men in their late thirties.
Importantly, the process for detaining may not involve a court review, and local law enforcement is not legally obligated to respond.
ICE did not disclose the numbers on various research efforts.
