The Nassau County Police Department has transferred at least 64 people into the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s custody, with most of them initially arrested for low-level offenses such as theft, prostitution and drug possession, according to reports.
In July, the number of people transferred into ICE’s custody was just 15, Det. Lt. Scott Skrynecki of the Nassau County Police Department previously told The Press, representing a ramp-up in detainments with the county police’s assistance.
Efforts to solicit comment from the Nassau County Police Department were unavailing.
The county police department has been aiding ICE in the detainment of immigrants, first enacted through an agreement at the beginning of the year.
The February agreement between Nassau County and ICE included the deputization of county officers to serve as federal immigration agents and the presence of federal agents in the county jail.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman previously said the partnership was to ensure the safety of county residents.
But others disagree.
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, the NYCLU filed a lawsuit against the county contending 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. The union said this will lead to rampant racial profiling.
Nassau County’s partnership with ICE is unique, as neither neighboring Suffolk County nor New York City has established a similar arrangement and still largely restricts its cooperation with the federal agency.
Individuals detained by ICE are not intended to be held in county jails or non-federal immigration detention facilities, but Nassau County has enacted such actions. Suffolk had a similar agreement, but broke it after a lawsuit found the county violated state law and the Fourth Amendment by detaining hundreds of immigrants past their release dates at the request of ICE.
The county jail, which has held more than 1,000 ICE detainees, came under scrutiny in September after one detainee was found dead in his jail cell. Other criticisms arose in July, accusing the jail of holding detainees longer than the permitted 72 hours, jailing individuals not accused of violating criminal laws and denying them shower access and time outside.
Overstaying a visa or residing in the country illegally is a civil offense, not a criminal offense.
At the time of the accusations that immigrants were being detained without committing crimes, Blakeman said he believed that there should be a process for those who have lived in the country for an extended period of time, who are not criminals, and are gainfully employed to remain here or obtain legal status. But he said he had no plans to alter the county’s partnership with ICE or how ICE was detaining people.
