U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ arrest and detention of a 20-year-old Suffolk County Community College honors student has sparked growing outrage amid the debate over immigration enforcement on Long Island.
Sara Lizeth Lopez Garcia, a Colombian immigrant who came to the U.S. five years ago, was in the process of obtaining permanent residency when ICE agents arrested her on May 21 at her family’s Mastic home, despite not being the target of the search. According to her legal representatives, ICE agents arrived at the address in search of other individuals, yet still took her and her mother into custody even though neither had a criminal record.
She was transferred to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, a privately run facility repeatedly cited for medical neglect and unsanitary conditions. A 2024 civil rights complaint from the ACLU detailed women being denied urgent care, held in frigid cells without blankets, and served moldy food in rodent-infested quarters. She has agreed to be deported home to Colombia, but she is still being held at the facility as her release is being finalized.
“Sara is not a threat. She is a student. A daughter. A community member,” John Durso and Ryan Stanton of the Long Island Federation of Labor said in a joint statement. “When a young woman with protected status is detained, it’s not just Sara who is targeted. It’s every worker, every student, every immigrant who calls this country home.”
Sara addressed the public from inside the detention facility, thanking the community for their support and recounting how five unidentified ICE agents took her into custody.
“It felt as if we were being treated like animals,” she said in a video posted by Newsday, adding that they demanded IDs from her, her mother and brother. “We believe we have done things the right way. We have never committed even the most minor crime.”
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While ICE has not publicly commented on the specifics of Garcia’s case, an agency spokesperson said Lopez was arrested during a lawful enforcement action and had overstayed a prior visa.
SCCC faculty argue, however, that this failed to note Garcia’s legal protections under Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, a federal protection granted to young immigrants who have experienced abuse or neglect in their home countries. Under this designation, she was legally residing in the U.S. with a valid work permit and Social Security number while undergoing the process of obtaining her green card.
New York State Assemblyman Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood), the chamber’s deputy majority leader and a former Suffolk County police officer, deemed Sara’s arrest as another example of a deeply flawed enforcement system that continues to endanger Long Island’s immigrant communities.
“Instead of targeting dangerous criminals, immigration enforcement is going after our youth, our scholars, our neighbors — people who are striving to build a better future for themselves and for this country,” said Ramos, a longtime opponent of ICE operations on Long Island. “No student should fear being ripped from their home, their school, or their future simply for daring to dream.”
In light of Sara’s case, Ramos is calling on state legislators to pass the New York for All Act, which would prohibit local law enforcement and public institutions from voluntarily cooperating with ICE unless required by a judicial warrant.
The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) has echoed such concerns in backing the proposed bill, warning that Garcia’s detention reflects a broader campaign of intimidation against Latino communities on Long Island.
“Between raiding local businesses, detaining people without identifying themselves, and busting into homes without warrants, this anti-immigrant administration is hellbent on terrorizing immigrants in Suffolk,” said Irma Solis, director of the NYCLU’s Suffolk chapter.
Long Island has become a key target for ICE operations, with more than 1,400 migrants held at Nassau County Correctional since February under a federal partnership. According to multiple media reports, at least 15 of those individuals were transferred to ICE custody after local arrests unrelated to immigration, many with no prior convictions or criminal record.
On June 3, ICE agents detained Elzon Lemus, a 23-year-old Hispanic U.S. citizen from Brentwood, during a traffic stop in Westbury, restraining him in handcuffs for more than 20 minutes before confirming his citizenship and releasing him.
“All New Yorkers deserve to feel safe,” said Solis. “Not targeted by a racist regime.”
Ramos and some of his colleagues are urging state lawmakers to take the lead where federal policy has failed, arguing that the state has a moral obligation to protect residents such as Garcia from unjust detention by setting clear boundaries on local cooperation with ICE.
State Sen. Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood), whose former district included Garcia’s hometown, expressed her support for the legislation in an email statement, calling Garcia’s arrest, “a moral abomination.”
“With a 3.9 GPA and a proven commitment to helping others — including domestic‑violence survivors — Sara embodied the promise of the American Dream,” she wrote via email. “[Garcia’s case] is not isolated — it’s part of a broader pattern of targeting young, ambitious immigrants who contribute so much to our state and nation.”
The New York for All Act, which stalled before reaching a floor vote earlier this year, is expected to be reintroduced in the next legislative session in January. Supporters say the bill is essential to restoring trust within thousands of New Yorkers who live in constant fear of detention and deportation.
