County Fight ContestedNassau, NY FIPS 36059Current status: County Executive Blakeman signed 287(g) agreements Feb 2025. ICE detainee Santos Reyes-Banegas died Sep 18, 2025 — less than 18 hours after arrival. State court (Feb 2026) declined to halt the 287(g) agreement; NYCLU/LatinoJustice/Hofstra Law lawsuit continues. ICE missed federal 90-day death-report deadline; revised cause-of-death cited alcohol withdrawal (not liver failure as initially claimed). Family attorney Oscar Michelen alleges cover-up. Hochul introduced Local Cops, Local Crimes Act (Jan 30, 2026) seeking statewide 287(g) ban; Blakeman vows defiance. County on track to detain ~3,000 ICE detainees in 2026.Nassau County has two 287(g) agreements — both warrant service officer and task force model — making it one of the most aggressive ICE collaborators in New York state. A detainee death 18 hours after arrival spotlighted dangerous conditions.287(g) AgreementsCounty Executive Bruce Blakeman signed agreements in February 2025Both Nassau County Police Department and Nassau County Sheriff’s Office deputized50 cells designated at Nassau County Correctional CenterCounty paid $195 per detainee per night — the highest known rate in NYDetainee DeathSantos Reyes-Banegas, 42, Honduran national, father of twoArrested September 17, 2025Found dead in cell September 18, 2025 — less than 18 hours after arrivalPreliminary reports: liver failure from alcoholism (cause still under investigation)First ICE detainee death in Nassau custodyInvestigations by: Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, AG Letitia James, NY Commission of CorrectionSignificanceThis was the first 287(g)-related detainee death in New York state. Used by NYIC and advocacy groups as evidence that 287(g) agreements endanger lives and must be banned statewide.Timeline (post-death developments)2025-06: NYCLU, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and Hofstra Law Clinic file the first New York state lawsuit challenging a 287(g) agreement, naming Nassau County (suit predates the death; relevance compounded after Sep 2025).2025-09-17/18: Santos Reyes-Banegas detained and dies in Nassau jail.2026-01-08: La Voce di New York reports ICE missed the federal 90-day deadline (per the 2018 federal law) to release a detainee-death report. Family attorney Oscar Michelen calls the delay an “attempt to cover up what happened to Santos.” Family requests independent autopsy; Sheriff’s Department had not complied with records request for video footage.2026-01-30: Gov. Kathy Hochul announces the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act” — proposed statewide ban on 287(g) agreements that would void existing contracts immediately. Blakeman vows defiance and threatens litigation.2026-02 (early): Nassau County Supreme Court justice rejects the NYCLU coalition’s challenge, allowing the 287(g) agreement to continue (per Long Island Advocate). Plaintiffs signal continued litigation/appeal.2026-02-09: Hofstra/Northwell Zucker School of Medicine publishes an ER professor commentary stressing alcohol-withdrawal protocols — implicit critique of the jail’s medical intake.2026-02 (later): ICE releases revised report indicating Reyes-Banegas died of alcohol withdrawal, not liver failure as initially stated (per reporter Jacqueline Sweet/X; corroborated by AOL/follow-up coverage). Family continues to challenge findings.2026-04-14 / 2026-04-16: Long Island Press, NY Focus, and The City report Long Island ICE arrests at record highs and detail Westchester/Long Island police-ICE collusion, citing Nassau as the most aggressive cooperator.2026-04-19: Hochul restates push for ICE limits in the new state budget (WWNY); status of inclusion in final budget not confirmed in available sourcing as of 2026-05-06.2026-04-20 (ABC7): Nassau County reported on track to detain ~3,000 ICE detainees in 2026 under the 287(g)/IGSA arrangement.Open / Flag for cross-investigationFederal non-disclosure directive watch: No tier-1 evidence (as of 2026-05-06) that the May 2026 ICE federal non-disclosure directive (Madan/FL/TX-documented) has been imposed on NY 287(g) jurisdictions. However, the missed 90-day federal death-report deadline and Sheriff non-response to footage requests are consistent with information-suppression behavior. Inferred, not confirmed.Cause-of-death revision: The shift from “liver failure” to “alcohol withdrawal” matters because alcohol withdrawal is a treatable, predictable medical emergency requiring intake screening — pointing to potential negligence/protocol failure rather than unavoidable underlying disease. Family civil suit posture not yet filed in available sourcing.SourcesNYIC: Death shows need to end 287(g) agreements (Sep 2025)LI Herald: ICE detainee may have died from liver failureLong Island Advocate: Death sparks protestLI Press: ICE detainee found dead (Sep 2025)NYCLU: First NY lawsuit over unlawful deputization in Nassau (June 2025)La Voce di New York: ICE Misses Deadline to Produce Report on Death of Detainee in Long Island (Jan 8, 2026)Long Island Advocate: State court ruling allows Nassau to continue cooperating with ICE (Feb 2026)Governor Hochul: Local Cops, Local Crimes Act announcement (Jan 30, 2026)NPR: NY Gov. Hochul seeks to ban police cooperation deals with ICE (Feb 3, 2026)NY Focus: Hochul Proposed Banning ICE Collaboration Contracts (Jan 31, 2026)Spectrum: Blakeman won’t rule out suing over Hochul ICE plan (Feb 3, 2026)News10: Blakeman defies state plan to end ICE cooperationHofstra/Northwell: Death of Reyes While in Jail — alcohol-withdrawal commentary (Feb 9, 2026)AOL: Family challenges ICE’s presumed cause of death for Honduran fatherICE: Detainee Death Report — REYES Banegas, Santos (PDF)ABC7: Nassau on track to detain 3,000 for ICE this yearThe City: Outside NYC’s ‘Sanctuary City,’ Local Police Routinely Collude With ICE (Apr 16, 2026)NY Focus: Local Police in Westchester, Long Island Routinely Help ICE (Apr 16, 2026)LI Press: Long Island ICE arrests hit record high (Apr 14, 2026)WWNY: Hochul seeks limits on ICE in new state budget (Apr 19, 2026)This research is published at The RAMM — investigative reporting on the detention pipeline.