Nassau County has detained over 1,400 undocumented immigrants for immigration enforcement since February, with local police gearing up to assist the Trump administration’s deportation initiatives.
The detentions occurred at East Meadow Prison as part of a federal partnership that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced earlier this year.
This collaboration has made 50 cells available in the facility to aid the Trump administration’s efforts against undocumented immigrants.
“If they’re committing crimes in the Metropolitan area, they’re a threat to Nassau County,” Blakeman remarked regarding the ICE detainees.
According to the agreement, immigrants may be held at East Meadow Prison for up to 72 hours before being deported or transferred to long-term facilities, with the federal government covering the detention costs.
Since January, Nassau County officers have already handed over at least 15 undocumented immigrants to ICE after discovering their status during unrelated arrests.
Detective Colonel Scott Skrinecki indicated that these arrests involved various charges, from grand theft to endangering children.
Additionally, Nassau County officials recently announced that ten local police officers have been selected to act as ICE agents under this partnership.
This expansion of Nassau County’s federal partnership comes after neighboring Suffolk County was fined $60 million for detaining hundreds of immigrants beyond their release dates between 2016 and 2018.
Suffolk officials mentioned that delays by ICE contributed to many individuals being held past their designated release times.
In Nassau County, most immigrants detained were processed within that 72-hour timeframe, according to officials.
However, immigration advocates and civil rights groups have expressed concerns regarding the county’s involvement with federal immigration enforcement, suggesting Nassau could face similar legal issues.
The county is already dealing with court cases related to these partnerships.
Blakeman responded to the criticisms by asserting that the agreement with the federal government is “legal and properly permitted.”
The New York Civil Liberties Union, which has filed a lawsuit to block the ICE partnership, argues that local police acting as immigration agents could lead to racial profiling and unlawful detentions.
Blakeman has dismissed these worries, maintaining confidence in the legality of their actions to safeguard the Nassau County community.
As part of the preparation for its partnership with ICE, Nassau recently modified a mask policy, requiring officers and federal agents to wear face coverings during undercover operations.
