Nassau County Police Sued Over ICE Arrest Cooperation Plan

Nassau County’s plan to let police officers to make immigration arrests violates New York State law and will lead to racial profiling, according to a new state court lawsuit.

Nonprofits and churches that represent immigrant communities sued the county and its police department Tuesday to stop them from implementing a “sweeping” agreement—finalized in March—with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement under which police officers can stop, question, and arrest residents who the the officers believe might be in the country illegally. Officers can also serve and execute ICE administrative warrants anywhere in the county.

“In short, as ICE has put it, the Agreement is a ‘force multiplier,’ transforming NCPD officers into ICE agents with free reign to roam throughout the community and police the immigration status of any Nassau County resident,” says the complaint in Nassau County Supreme Court.

While state law allows officers to conduct warrantless arrests only when someone has committed or is believed to have committed a crime, a civil immigration violation doesn’t fall under the definition of a crime or offense, the complaint says. The plaintiffs also argue Nassau County is barred by the state constitution from entering a contract with the federal government to provide services that the county itself is not authorized to provide.

Agreements like the one between Nassau County and ICE also “foster environments that broadly increase racial profiling by law enforcement agents that disproportionately impacts Latino and Black community residents,” the complaint says, pointing to already-existing racial disparities in Nassau County’s policing policies.

The New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and Hofstra University Law Clinic represent the plaintiffs.

The case is In the Matter of the Application of Cent. Am. Refugee Ctr. v. Ryder, N.Y. Sup. Ct., No. 613541/2025, complaint filed 6/24/25.