Rep. Suozzi: ICE adding dozens of immigration lawyers on LI isn't routine

We do not need ramped-up immigration enforcement or a sweeping deportation program on Long Island. We need help with the cost of living.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is leasing space at 88 Froehlich Farm Blvd. in my congressional district for up to 40 immigration attorneys. The Woodbury building's owner has attempted to reassure residents, stating there will be "no ICE agents" and "no field operation of any kind," describing it as "just a legal office."

Adding 40 immigration lawyers is not routine. It is not clerical. You do not hire dozens of attorneys unless you are preparing to significantly increase the number of deportation cases moving through the system. That signals a substantial buildup of deportation capacity here and absent clarity, it raises concerns that enforcement may broaden beyond targeted public safety priorities.

Long Islanders should not have to rely on landlord assurances or media reports to understand the intentions of a federal enforcement agency operating in their community. If this expansion is limited in scope, the public deserves a clear explanation. If it signals something more, we deserve honesty about that as well. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has not responded to my request for details.

I support the deportation of violent criminals, convicted felons, dangerous gang members and individuals who pose a genuine threat to public safety. When President Donald Trump said he was going after the "worst of the worst," I supported that, as I would now.

What we have seen has been very different. Sweeping, unfocused mass deportation efforts that target families who have lived here for decades — who are working, paying taxes and raising children — is just wrong. Conflating violent criminals with long-settled, law-abiding immigrant families is neither just nor effective policy.

The dysfunctional enforcement we've seen in Minneapolis is making people less safe. As Nassau County executive, I oversaw the 11th-largest police department in the country. I understand what it takes to keep people safe. Effective community policing requires trust; residents need to feel comfortable calling the police, and police need to know who they can rely on in the community. Terrorizing families destroys that concept and breaks trust between officers and the communities they serve.

Let's go after the gangs, not the grandmothers and gardeners. Let's remove criminals, not separate families. Let's secure the border, not deport the bagel store manager.

FBI statistics show that Nassau is the safest county in the country, and Suffolk is not far behind. Northeast Queens, which I also represent, is similarly safe. Long Island is not experiencing a crime wave. The opposite is true.

At the same time, unemployment remains low and Long Island continues to be one of the most economically productive regions in the country. The defining challenge facing our residents is not crime. It is affordability.

Families are struggling with record-high housing and health insurance costs. Grocery prices remain high. Property taxes are squeezing every homeowner, and we are still fighting to restore the full SALT deduction so taxpayers can keep more of what they earn.

People are not asking for broad deportation campaigns. They are asking for economic relief and common sense policies that allow them to stay in the communities they love.

Government priorities matter. Where we deploy resources sends a message. Expanding deportation infrastructure without transparency in a region that is safe and stable only creates fear and is economically unwise, socially destructive and morally wrong. Enforcement must be strategic and targeted, not sweeping and disruptive.

This guest essay reflects the views of Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who represents the 3rd Congressional District.