A lawsuit aimed at overturning Nassau County’s collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been dismissed by a state judge, who found that the agreement is in line with state law.
Justice Daniel Peterson of the State Supreme Court ruled that the New York Civil Liberties Union’s claims about the agreement breaching the state’s sanctuary law and adversely affecting immigrant families were unfounded.
Bruce Blakeman, the Republican county executive currently campaigning for governor, expressed that the judge’s ruling confirms that the partnership is “valid and appropriate.”
“In collaboration with ICE, we’ve removed over 2,000 undocumented immigrants, which has made our communities safer,” Blakeman stated.
According to court documents, Peterson stated that the NYCLU’s assertions that the partnership violates state sanctuary laws and harms immigrant families in Nassau County were “totally unfounded.”
The NYCLU, representing various immigrant advocacy groups and two local residents, filed the lawsuit alleging that the agreement allows racial profiling in routine police stops.
However, Peterson was not persuaded, noting that concerns about a “chilling effect”—like people avoiding public spaces or not going to church—were merely subjective and did not demonstrate actual harm.
The judge concluded that the county had a “reasonable basis” for the controversial partnership with ICE, siding with officials who argue the agreement enhances public safety and facilitates the transfer of unlawfully present individuals to federal authorities.
This arrangement includes Nassau leasing jail space to the federal government and authorizing local detectives to perform certain duties.
Liberal activists disagreed with the ruling, criticizing ICE operations in Long Island as “not normal.” This pushback followed the release of a video showing Isai Santos-Caceras, a 35-year-old detainee, being violently thrown against a brick wall.
Organizers highlighted that, according to county data, most of the approximately 3,000 immigrants detained in Nassau County Jail by ICE have no criminal record.
