Migrants Unlawfully Detained by ICE in New York Awarded $112 Million in Landmark Ruling

A federal court has ordered Suffolk County and its sheriff’s office to pay $112 million in damages to hundreds of immigrants unlawfully held in local jails on behalf of federal immigration authorities.

According to court documents, 674 people were found to have been detained beyond their lawful release dates in 2017, despite posting bail or resolving their criminal cases. A federal judge ruled that the county’s actions violated their constitutional due process rights under the 14th Amendment..

“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 began with a complaint filed by a 34-year-old immigrant from Guatemala, who said he was unlawfully held in a Suffolk County jail for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite meeting his bail conditions. His cousin had paid $1,000 bail expecting his release and appearance in immigration court. However, instead of being freed, the man was transferred first to ICE’s Varick Street Detention Center in Manhattan and later to the Bergen County Jail in New Jersey.

The lawsuit alleged that Suffolk County routinely held detainees for ICE after their criminal matters were resolved, effectively turning local jails into unlawful extensions of federal detention. The plaintiff, represented by LatinoJustice, claimed that he was never informed that his bail had been paid and that his detention caused lasting harm.

Court records show that the man suffered severe emotional distress, physical and psychological injury, loss of liberty, humiliation, economic hardship, and a loss of enjoyment of life as a result of the unlawful detention.

In issuing the ruling, the court determined that Suffolk County’s practice violated federal and constitutional protections, setting a precedent for similar cases involving local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

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Migrants Unlawfully Detained by ICE in New York Awarded $112 Million in Landmark Ruling