Amid protests erupting in several parts of the country due to federal immigration enforcement actions, the governments of Nassau County and Suffolk County in Long Island, New York have recently emphasized that the two counties do not belong to nor will they become “sanctuary counties.” They have stated their commitment to continue supporting the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when necessary.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Ryder, in an interview with the New York Post, stated that ICE, like other federal law enforcement agencies, has its enforcement responsibilities. He emphasized that they will support ICE just like they support the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in fighting drugs or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in investigating terrorism.
Although both county police departments have emphasized that they will only assist in enforcement actions at the explicit request of ICE (which they have not received so far), they stressed that they will not hesitate to act if needed. Both counties have also stated that enforcement will not take place at schools, hospitals, or places of worship, and they will not actively inquire about the immigration status of victims or witnesses.
Officials in Suffolk County have also reiterated a similar stance. Despite the court ruling earlier this year to compensate $60 million for detaining immigrants at ICE’s request between 2016 and 2018, officials maintain that those detainees were arrested for other criminal charges and their immigration status as undocumented individuals was discovered during the intake process when ICE failed to promptly take them into custody.
Nassau County Executive Blakeman stated that instead of using taxpayer funds for prosecution and detention, it is better to directly deport undocumented immigrants.
Furthermore, Nassau County is adamant about implementing its established plan: collaborating with ICE to train 10 detectives to serve as immigration liaison officers.