Suffolk County has announced plans to appeal a jury’s decision that awarded $112 million to nearly 700 immigrants who were unlawfully detained by the county sheriff’s office. A spokesperson for the county, Michael Martino, stated that officials disagree with the outcome of the class-action lawsuit, which was prompted by allegations of unlawful detentions carried out on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The jury’s compensation ruling is set to benefit 674 immigrants who experienced unlawful detention over more than four years. The jury’s decision followed a ruling by a federal judge in January, which found that the sheriff’s office on Long Island had violated Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable seizures, as well as state constitutional rights, by holding these individuals beyond their scheduled release times. Additionally, the jury determined that due process protections were violated by the sheriff’s office, which failed to provide the detainees with a chance to contest their extended confinement.
Andrew Case, an attorney representing the plaintiffs with the advocacy group LatinoJustice PRLDEF, emphasized the significance of the jury’s decision. He remarked, “A jury of ordinary New Yorkers recognized the harm that unlawful detention causes and recognized the dignity and pain of our clients just as if they were people who work on Wall Street and have U.S. passports who have been unlawfully detained.” He further noted that the jury’s award reflected a strong acknowledgment of the dignity and humanity of those affected.
Court documents reveal that the sheriff’s office continued to detain individuals even after its authority had expired, and in some cases, even after their bail had been paid. These extended detentions were executed in response to ICE detainers—requests from federal authorities to hold individuals until they could be taken into federal custody for immigration enforcement purposes. The compensation is designated for immigrants detained between July 18, 2014 and November 15, 2018, the date the sheriff’s office ceased its policy of detaining individuals under ICE requests.
This jury award comes on the heels of a similar settlement in New York City, where officials agreed in December to pay up to $92.5 million to resolve claims of unlawful detentions affecting over 20,000 immigrants between 1997 and 2012. In that case, attorneys acknowledged the difficulties in locating eligible claimants, particularly those who may have been deported and are now residing outside the United States.
Despite the challenges that may arise in identifying eligible recipients for the compensation, Andrew Case expressed confidence regarding the process, noting that his team is preparing for Suffolk County’s appeal. The outcome of this case has significant implications for the treatment of immigrants and the responsibilities of local law enforcement when cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
