Federal Trial Begins in LatinoJustice Lawsuit Challenging Suffolk County’s Unlawful Collaboration with Immigration Detention
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2025
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Federal Trial Begins in LatinoJustice Lawsuit Challenging Suffolk County’s Unlawful Collaboration with Immigration Detention
BROOKLYN, NY – Trial began today for a class action lawsuit brought against the Department of Homeland Security and Suffolk County challenging cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities that has resulted in the unlawful detention and handover of hundreds of Long Islanders.
The case, Orellana Castaneda et al v. County of Suffolk and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office et al, is being heard at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in downtown Brooklyn. The class-action lawsuit, first filed by LatinoJustice PRLDEF and co-counsel Winston & Strawn LLP in 2017 represents individuals who were wrongfully held in Suffolk County jails after posting bail or resolving their cases, detained solely because Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued civil detainer requests.
The trial will determine damages owed to the class members and holding Suffolk County accountable for their illegal detention of a class of approximately 675 individuals.
In January, U.S. Federal District Court Judge William F. Kuntz II ruled that Suffolk County’s actions violated the Fourth Amendment and the New York State Constitution, finding that ICE detainers are voluntary civil requests, not criminal warrants and do not authorize local law enforcement to continue holding individuals in Suffolk County jail custody beyond their mandated release.
“Suffolk County has willingly co-operated and acted as an arm of ICE in honoring detainers and unlawfully keeping immigrants in their jail custody in violation of their rights said Jose Perez, Deputy General Counsel, LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “The court has already determined that Suffolk County is voluntarily resuming their enforcement of administrative ICE detainer requests and continue holding individuals in jail custody for ICE, in violation of their constitutional rights.”
Between 2016 and 2018, Suffolk County jail officials routinely detained individuals after they had posted bail, or had their cases dismissed or resolved completing their sentences, holding them solely because of an ICE administrative detainer request.
“We fought these battles years ago, and it’s devastating to see our communities reliving the same injustices,” said Oscar Michelen, civil rights attorney and former President of the Long Island Hispanic Bar Association. “Suffolk County’s unlawful detentions show how easily history repeats itself when there is no accountability.”
One of the two named plaintiffs, Joaquín Orellana Castañeda, is a Guatemalan citizen who lived and worked in Suffolk County for nearly a decade, supporting his family and ailing mother.
Despite having posted bail, Orellana Castañeda was not released from local custody and unlawfully held in the Suffolk County jail for several days before being transferred to ICE detention. By joining this lawsuit, Mr. Orellana Castañeda seeks justice and hopes to prevent others from being unjustly torn from their families and communities.
“Despite the Suffolk County Sheriff’s beliefs, New York law — established in Francis v. DeMarco — clearly prohibits local police and sheriffs from detaining people on behalf of ICE,” said Irma Solis, Director of the Suffolk County Regional Office at the New York Civil Liberties Union. “Local law enforcement in Suffolk should b e protecting our communities and upholding our neighbors’ rights — not violating the law, tearing families apart, and fueling Trump’s mass deportation machine.”
The trial is expected to continue through Friday November 7.
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About LatinoJustice:
LatinoJustice PRLDEF works to create a more just society by using and challenging the rule of law to secure transformative, equitable and accessible justice, by empowering our community and by fostering leadership through advocacy and education. For over 50 years, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has acted as an advocate against injustices throughout the country. To learn more about LatinoJustice, visit www.LatinoJustice.org