The ruling found the county violated the constitutional rights of hundreds of immigrants held in jail after posting bail or resolving their cases.
A federal judge has ordered Suffolk County, New York, to pay $112 million in damages after finding that local authorities unlawfully detained hundreds of immigrants on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2017.
The decision, delivered by a federal jury, determined that both Suffolk County and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office violated the constitutional rights of 674 individuals who were held in county jails even after posting bail or resolving their criminal cases.
“This decision brings long-overdue accountability,” said José Pérez, Deputy General Counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF, which represented the plaintiffs. “The jury confirmed what we have argued all along — that Suffolk County’s actions trampled the basic due process rights guaranteed under the 14th Amendment.”
The case originated when a 34-year-old Guatemalan immigrant filed a complaint after being detained beyond his release date at a Suffolk County jail. Despite his family posting $1,000 bail, he was never informed of his release and was instead transferred to ICE’s Varick Street Detention Center in Manhattan, then to Bergen County Jail in New Jersey.
Court documents revealed that the man and others suffered loss of liberty, emotional distress, humiliation, and financial harm as a result of their extended detentions.
The case — Orellana Castañeda et al. v. County of Suffolk and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office et al. — became a class action lawsuit encompassing 674 individuals affected by similar unlawful holds. The ruling stated that the county had detained people solely “for ICE’s administrative convenience,” violating due process and New York state law.
While the verdict does not address Suffolk County’s current policies, advocates say it echoes ongoing concerns about local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“Today’s verdict is justice served,” Pérez said. “Our clients’ courage ensures these types of abuses will hopefully not be repeated.”
The decision is one of the largest financial awards ever granted in a civil rights case involving immigration enforcement cooperation by a local jurisdiction.
