NYC suburb official reveals how ICE partnership has flipped script on crime as Mamdani victory looms
In a striking contrast to New York City’s progressive stance, Nassau County, New York, is embracing a more stringent approach to immigration enforcement, with local officials claiming significant success in their partnership with federal immigration authorities. Launched in February and expanded in March, this initiative allows Nassau County police to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in apprehending undocumented immigrants. County Executive Bruce Blakeman has reported that this collaboration has led to the training of ten detectives specifically for ICE operations, with the county even reserving jail cells for ICE detainees. Blakeman asserts that the communication between Nassau County and ICE has never been better, and he believes that the policies are not only popular among residents, including those in the Hispanic community, but are also yielding tangible results in terms of public safety.
The statistics speak for themselves, as Nassau County police have collaborated with ICE to arrest 47 undocumented individuals in September alone, with a significant number linked to gang-related activities and violent crimes. Blakeman highlights that this proactive stance has contributed to a 14% reduction in overall crime rates in the county and a substantial drop in drug-related deaths, indicating a positive shift in community safety. However, the rising popularity of socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani in New York City raises concerns for Blakeman, who fears that a Mamdani victory could jeopardize the relationship between Nassau County and the NYPD, potentially complicating future joint operations and intelligence sharing. Blakeman’s apprehensions reflect a broader anxiety among local officials regarding the implications of New York City’s evolving political landscape on surrounding communities, emphasizing the stark divide in approaches to law enforcement and immigration between the two regions.
As Nassau County continues to tout the effectiveness of its ICE partnership, Blakeman remains vigilant about the potential repercussions of a shift in leadership in New York City. He has already begun strategizing with local law enforcement to prepare for possible challenges that may arise if Mamdani, who has publicly criticized current immigration policies, assumes office. Blakeman’s commitment to maintaining safety in Nassau County underscores the ongoing debate surrounding immigration enforcement, community safety, and the contrasting ideologies that shape the policies of neighboring jurisdictions. As the political landscape evolves, the outcomes of these policies will likely continue to spark discussions about the balance between community safety and immigration rights, revealing the complexities of governance in America’s largest metropolitan area.
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While
New York City
doubles down on Trump resistance and socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani is heavily favored to be elected the next mayor of America’s largest city, a nearby suburb is going the opposite direction, and it is working “even better than anticipated,” according to the county’s top official.
In February,
Nassau County
, New York, launched a new partnership with the federal government to allow police to assist with immigration enforcement. The partnership was further expanded in March. Currently, ten Nassau County detectives have been trained and designated to work with ICE on apprehensions and investigations, and the county has reserved 50 jail cells for ICE to hold detainees for up to 72 hours for deportation or charges.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said, “Our communication has never been better with ICE.”
Though such policies are unlikely to be adopted in New York City, Blakeman said they are massively popular, including with the county’s Hispanic population. He also said the policies have been yielding results not only for the county but the entire region.
‘BIG CHANGE’: NASSAU COUNTY POLICE TO BEGIN ASSISTING WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
“It’s very clear,” he said. “When you look at the results here in Nassau County, any chief executive of any county or any city or town or village in New York state, or in America for that matter, should look very closely at reconsidering and cooperating with ICE because they’re doing a great job in keeping our county safer. And they would do a great job keeping the rest of the communities throughout the United States safer if people work with them instead of working against them.”
Blakeman said that, in September alone, Nassau County Police worked with ICE to arrest 47
illegal immigrants
, 28 of whom were involved with gang activity, including drug dealing, attempted murder, carjacking and robbery.
“That’s 47 people who won’t be preying on our communities going forward. So, I think it’s been tremendously successful,” he said.
He also said the Nassau County Jail has processed over 2,000 ICE cases.
“That’s another 2,000 people that are off the streets of not only Nassau County, but the whole metropolitan area. So, we’re not only keeping Nassau County safe, but we’re also keeping the rest of the metropolitan area safe by cooperating with ICE,” he said.
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While New York City is infamous across the country for its sanctuary and soft-on-crime policies, Blakeman said that, in Nassau County, the message has been received, and criminal illegals and migrant gangs “know that we are very tough on crime here” and that “if they’re arrested, they’re going to be incarcerated or deported.”
The result, Blakeman said, is that overall crime in Nassau County has gone down by 14%, and provisional data on opioid, fentanyl and other
drug-related deaths
show they have gone down by over 20% compared to the previous year.
Still, he said, he is worried about the possibility of an electoral victory by Mamdani, which he said could have broader implications for Nassau County and the entire region.
“I’m very concerned about what our relationship will be with NYPD if
Zohran Mamdani
becomes the mayor. So, that is a very big concern for me as the county executive of a community that borders New York City,” he said.
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“I am very concerned that we will not get accurate intelligence from NYPD. I would be very concerned about sharing sensitive intelligence with NYPD. Certainly, I would be reticent to go on joint operations unless our detectives and our police officers were protected when they go into the city of New York.
“It will certainly make our life more difficult for our police officers and our corrections officers and our sheriffs,” he added. “It will make our job a lot harder, but we’ll do what we got to do to protect Nassau County.”
Blakeman said he has already met with Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Rider to strategize for the possibility of a Mamdani victory.
“We’re hoping that the people of New York City see him for what he is. He’s a communist, he’s a virulent antisemite and he’s someone that does not share American values. And he has said he wanted to defund the police, that he wants to use social workers instead of cops to investigate crimes. I mean, it’s just craziness coming out of this guy’s mouth. So, it’ll make our life more difficult if he becomes mayor, but we’ll do what we have to do.
“My No. 1 job is to make sure that we have a very safe community. The fact that we’re the safest county in America and we’re one of the largest counties in America is a credit to our police officers, our sheriffs and our cooperation with our federal agencies,” he said, adding the ICE partnership has “worked even better than anticipated.”
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
