Nassau County Must Not Be Complicit in ICE’s Mass Deportation Agenda, Says LatinoJustice PRLDEF
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2025
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Nassau County Must Not Be Complicit in ICE’s Mass Deportation Agenda, Says LatinoJustice PRLDEF
The civil rights organization says Nassau County’s ICE Partnership is “Dangerous, Misguided and Unlawful”
New York, NY – Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman stated in a press conference today that Nassau County Police and the Nassau County Sheriff's Office will be cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) in support of President Donald Trump's mass deportation policy.
Blakeman stated that the said the county has signed an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security purporting to “deputize” ten NCPD detectives to investigate and detain people for non-criminal immigration violations.
The following statement can be attributed to Lourdes M. Rosado, President and General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF:
“Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s announcement is dangerous, misguided, and unlawful. Local law enforcement is prohibited from arresting people for non-criminal immigration violations for a reason. When they have sought to exercise that power, it inevitably leads to racial profiling against the Latino community, sows fear, erodes trust, and makes our neighborhoods less safe.
“LatinoJustice demands that the County make public any purported agreement with ICE or DHS granting them this authority. The circumstances in which local law enforcement may be given immigration authority are strictly limited and we do not believe they have been met. The county’s failure to release the agreement raises suspicions that the agreements do not comply with the law.
“Local law enforcement should protect and serve all residents. Engaging in federal immigration enforcement to turn people over to an out-of-control federal government seeking to raid homes, schools, churches, and workplaces of Long Islanders with impunity will cause lasting damage to the community. LatinoJustice PRLDEF fully rejects this disgraceful move and will be taking steps to protecting the rights of Latino and immigrant residents of Nassau County.”
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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