EAST MEADOW, NY — A 42-year-old man held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody was found dead early Thursday morning inside the Nassau County Correctional Center.
Authorities say the detainee was discovered unresponsive in his cell around 6:30 a.m. and pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not yet been released.
This incident marks the first reported death of an ICE detainee since Nassau County entered into a controversial partnership with ICE earlier this year, which allocated 50 cells in the county jail for immigrant detainees.
The Nassau County Homicide Squad and the New York State Attorney General’s Office have both launched investigations. Sheriff Anthony LaRocco stated the county is committed to transparency and vowed a full review of what happened.
Community advocates are already raising questions about medical care, oversight, and accountability within the facility. Local leaders, including Nassau Legislator Seth Koslow, are calling for a public hearing.
The official cause of death remains under investigation, and ICE has not yet released a public statement.
America’s Muslim Network will continue to follow this developing story.