Suffolk County is not ready to write a $112 million check without a fight.
This week, county lawyers asked a federal judge to throw out the massive jury award, or at least order a new trial, after jurors found the county unlawfully detained hundreds of immigrants at the request of federal immigration authorities. Attorneys for the county told U.S. District Judge William Kuntz II the verdict was excessive and that jurors were improperly swayed during deliberations.
County Told Judge The Award Was Excessive
At a nearly three-hour hearing, Suffolk County attorneys urged Judge Kuntz to set aside the November 2025 verdict, decertify the class and order a new trial, arguing the damages figure was inflated and tied too closely to a specific number suggested by class counsel, according to Bloomberg Law. The judge listened to the arguments but did not immediately rule, leaving both sides waiting to see whether the jury’s work will stand.
Verdict And Who It Covers
The $112 million judgment was returned in November 2025 for a certified class of roughly 674 people who say they were held in Suffolk jails after posting bail or resolving local charges and then transferred to federal custody, per a press release from LatinoJustice PRLDEF. Reporting on the trial showed the jury allocated about $75 million for unlawful detention and roughly $37 million for procedural due process harms, a split now squarely in the county’s crosshairs in post-trial motions. The case centers on a policy under former Sheriff Vincent DeMarco of honoring ICE detainer requests, which plaintiffs say led to extended jail stays that violated their rights.
Bond And Fiscal Moves To Stall Payouts
To avoid any immediate scramble to pay the award, Suffolk’s legislature signed off on purchasing a surety bond to stay the judgment and the county disclosed that step in an EMMA filing, according to Bond Buyer. The county also referenced the case as a contingent liability in its preliminary official statement. Court papers reviewed by the New York Post say the county secured a $125 million surety and spent roughly $650,000 to obtain it; the county has not independently confirmed those specific figures in a public statement.
What Comes Next In Court
Judge Kuntz took the parties’ motions under advisement and is expected to issue a written ruling in the weeks ahead, according to coverage of the hearing. Docket records and case summaries at the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse show the matter is still very much alive as the county presses its post-trial challenges and prepares appeal filings.
Who Is Representing The Parties
The plaintiffs are represented by LatinoJustice PRLDEF, with co-counsel from Winston & Strawn, which publicly celebrated the November verdict in a firm announcement after the trial. Suffolk County has defended the policy through county attorneys and outside counsel and has signaled in local reporting that it plans to continue appealing the judgment.
Legal Implications
If Judge Kuntz grants any portion of the county’s post-trial motions, by ordering a new trial or decertifying the class, the $112 million judgment could be reduced or wiped out before any appellate court weighs in. If he leaves the verdict intact, the surety stay and any future appeals will dictate whether the county must ultimately satisfy the award or seek a settlement, steps that municipal finance filings warn could carry budget consequences for county taxpayers.
The next written decision is likely to determine whether the case heads to the Second Circuit and how other jurisdictions think about similar challenges to local cooperation with federal immigration detainers. For now, both sides have told the court they will keep pushing their arguments, and the county’s financial disclosures make clear officials are trying to limit short-term exposure while the legal fight plays out.
