“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.”
A federal judge has ordered Long Island's Suffolk County, NY, to pay $112 million in damages after hundreds of illegal immigrants were detained by local authorities on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The ruling determined that both the county and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office violated the constitutional rights of 674 individuals who were kept in county jails in 2017 even after posting bail or resolving their criminal cases.
“This decision brings long-overdue accountability,” said Jose Perez, 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 began when a 34-year-old Long Island resident, originally from Guatemala, filed a complaint after being held in a Suffolk County jail beyond his scheduled release date. The lawsuit alleged that he was detained “for ICE’s administrative convenience” rather than any lawful basis, reports PIX11.
According to court filings, the man was arrested in April 2017 in Central Islip. Although his cousin paid a $1,000 bail to secure his release, he was never told the bail had been processed and was instead transferred first to ICE’s Varick Street Detention Center in Manhattan, then later to Bergen County Jail in New Jersey.
The court found that the plaintiff suffered serious physical and emotional harm, including “loss of liberty, emotional distress, humiliation, and economic loss.”
Latino Justice, a blog dedicated to following such cases, posted to its blog: "In a victory for immigrant rights, a federal jury today found Suffolk County and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office financially liable and responsible for violating the constitutional rights of hundreds of Long Islanders unlawfully detained on behalf of federal immigration authorities.
In a unanimous decision, the jury awarded $112 million to the class of 674 people who were part of the 2017 lawsuit against Suffolk County and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department for unlawfully holding individuals in county jails after posting their bail or resolving their cases, for the sole purpose of facilitating the immigration enforcement authorities to take them into federal custody.
The case, Orellana Castañeda et al. v. County of Suffolk and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office et al., does not address current policies in Suffolk County, though the issues at play echo community concerns about local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
“This decision brings long-overdue accountability,” said José Pérez, Deputy General Counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “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. Today’s verdict is justice served and our clients courage ensures these types of abuses will hopefully not be repeated.”"
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