New York state Democrats inspect conditions for ICE detainees at Nassau County Jail
Some New York state Democrats visited the Nassau County Jail in East Meadow to inspect conditions Wednesday.
The federal government is leasing space inside the jail for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees and reimbursing the county $195 per day per detainee.
Under the partnership, detainees can't be jailed for longer than 72 hours.
Nassau County says over 1,400 people have been held so far this year under a collaboration with ICE, and the county has set aside 50 jail cells for the agency to use.
No showers, outdoor activity for detainees, lawmakers say
Bryan Perez, a Hofstra grad and paralegal, represents immigrants, like his own family, at CARECEN, the Central American Refugee Center.
"People are being detained, they're being taken to the Nassau County Jail, and then afterwards, it's been very difficult to trace where they have gone to," he said.
After saying they were initially denied jail access, lawmakers Michaelle Solages and Julia Salazar toured the ICE cells in East Meadow.
"It's to ensure that there's transparency and accountability because this is a Nassau County facility," Solages said. "Individuals are in their cells. They were being provided with food."
Conditions were good, they said, except there were no showers and detainees had no outdoor activity. The jail says that's because of the detainees' brief stays.
Wednesday, 14 people were being held by ICE at Nassau County Jail. The lawmakers claimed they were only detained because they were not born in this country.
"It's heartbreaking to see that Nassau County is being complicit in this," Solages said.
"Even myself personally, I don't feel safe either. I'm an American citizen, but we've seen so far, too, that even American citizens have been detained, have been stopped," Perez said.
Blakeman calls for "common sense," compassionate path forward for some immigrants
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman says they are cooperating with ICE because it makes Nassau safer.
"In the majority of instances, there has been criminal activity, and that's why they are there," he said. "I can't say all because ICE does not share that information with us."
Blakeman also believes, however, there should be a path forward for those who have been working here for years.
"There should be a formula based on common sense and compassion," he said.
Blakeman says after it was brought to his attention, showers will now be provided, but outdoor activity will not be because ICE detainees are not allowed to mingle with the general population.
