Nassau County Jail Detaining Thousands of Immigrants for ICE

Nassau County's ICE Detainment Agreement

• 📌 Nassau County Jail is on track to detain over 3,000 immigrants for ICE by the end of the year, a significantly higher number than most other tri-state counties.
• 💰 The federal government is paying Nassau County $195 per night per person for these detainments.

The 287G Agreement

• 🤝 Nassau County has an agreement with ICE called 287G, which allows local jail cells to be rented out and Nassau County police detectives to assist ICE agents.
• 👮 This agreement grants detectives the power to arrest immigrants without legal status.
• 📉 The agreement has been criticized for potentially damaging community relations with minority communities.

Legal and Community Opposition

• ⚖️ The New York Civil Liberties Union is suing Nassau County, its police department, and police commissioner, alleging the agreement violates state law.
• 🗣️ Critics argue that local law enforcement should not be permitted to participate in civil enforcement activities.
• 😟 There are concerns that the presence of federal agents and the agreement have created fear in minority communities, impacting business owners and community relations.

ICE's Perspective and Data

• 📈 ICE states that its agents have detained over 1,600 people on Long Island with prior convictions between January and August.
• ❓ ICE has not disclosed how many individuals were detained without a criminal history, which contributes to fear in the Latino community.
• 📄 Some individuals feel compelled to carry their US passports to prove their status, highlighting the pervasive fear.