On Monday, in a report from the Department of Homeland Security, names were released of local jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities by detaining suspected undocumented immigrants. This was in accordance with the executive order signed by President Donald Trump, in January.
Dealing with the period 28 January to 3 February, the report showed that 3038 detainers were issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency responsible for deportations, requesting that police hold in custody people suspected of living in the US illegally. Of those detainers, 206 were declined to be honored by local law enforcement agencies, with as many as 142 declined by Travis County, Texas. New York City and Los Angeles declined four and five respectively.
Jurisdictions refusing to comply with detainers were listed in the report in chronological order, showing their level of cooperation. The Nassau County Sheriff’s office is one of those listed. The office does cooperate with requests that come with a judicial order of deportation or administrative warrant but refuses those detainers issued without a warrant. Warrants are necessary to force localities to cooperate with detainers, according to a federal district court ruling in Illinois, three years ago.
The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Thomas Homan, says law enforcement agencies that refuse to honor immigration detainers and send serious criminal immigrants back into the community are undermining the agency’s ability to carry out its mission and protect the American public.