Suffolk County plans to appeal a jury’s decision that awarded nearly $112 million to 674 immigrants who were unlawfully detained by the county sheriff’s office. This ruling, delivered by a jury in a class-action lawsuit, stemmed from the sheriff’s office’s collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to a county spokesperson, Michael Martino, Suffolk County disagrees with the jury’s findings and intends to contest the outcome.
The compensatory award is to be distributed among immigrants who were detained for over four years, specifically from July 18, 2014, to November 15, 2018. This timeframe marks the period during which the sheriff’s office held individuals beyond their scheduled release dates, violating the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable seizures. A federal judge ruled in January that these detentions were unlawful, as the sheriff’s office had exceeded its authority, detaining some individuals even after their bail had been paid.
Legal Implications and Community Response
The jury’s decision also highlighted violations of due process protections, emphasizing that the sheriff’s office failed to provide immigrants with the opportunity to contest their extended detention. Andrew Case, an attorney representing the plaintiffs from the advocacy group LatinoJustice PRLDEF, remarked on the jury’s recognition of the significant harm caused by unlawful detention. He stated, “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.”
The jury’s award signifies a valuation of the dignity and humanity of the affected individuals, according to Case. The sheriff’s office’s actions were prompted by ICE detainers—requests to hold individuals until federal agents could take custody for immigration enforcement.
Suffolk County’s determination to appeal follows a similar case in New York City, where the city agreed in December 2022 to pay up to $92.5 million to settle claims of unlawful detentions of over 20,000 immigrants from 1997 to 2012. In that case, attorneys noted the challenges in locating eligible individuals for the settlement, as many may have since been deported or are residing outside the United States.
Despite the potential difficulties, Case expressed confidence that locating those eligible for the payouts would not pose an immediate challenge. As the county prepares for its appeal, the legal implications of the jury’s ruling and the community’s response to the unlawful detentions remain at the forefront of the discussion surrounding immigrant rights and law enforcement practices in Suffolk County.