People ex rel. Wells v DeMarco (2018 NY Slip Op 07740) People ex rel. Wells v DeMarco 2018 NY Slip Op 07740 Decided on November 14, 2018 Appellate Division, Second Department Scheinkman, P.J., J. Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431. This opinion is uncorrected and subject to revision before publication in the Official Reports. Decided on November 14, 2018 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department SCHEINKMAN, P.J. 2017-12806OPINION & JUDGMENT[*1]The People of the State of New York, ex rel. Jordan Wells, on behalfof Susai Francis, petitioner, vVincent F. DeMarco, etc., respondent. WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS in the nature of an application to release Susai Francis from the custody of the Sheriff of Suffolk County. New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, NY (Jordan Wells, Paige Austin, Mariana Kovel, Christopher Dunn, and Scout Katovich of counsel), and American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, NY (Omar C. Jadwat, Cody Wofsy, and Spencer Amdur of counsel), for petitioner. Dennis M. Brown, County Attorney, Hauppauge, NY (Leonard G. Kapsalis of counsel), for respondent. Matthew G. Whitaker, Acting Attorney General of the United States, Washington, DC (Richard P. Donoghue, Joseph A. Marutollo, Chad A. Readler, William C. Peachey, Erez Reuveni, and Steven A. Platt of counsel), for amicus curiae United States of America. Barbara D. Underwood, Attorney General, New York, NY (Anisha S. Dasgupta and Scott A. Eisman of counsel), amicus curiae pro se. Morningside Heights Legal Services, Inc., New York, NY (Elora Mukherjee, National Immigrant Justice Center [Mark Fleming and Katherine Melloy Goettel], pro se, and Christopher N. Lasch, pro se, of counsel), for amici curiae National Immigrant Justice Center, David Baluarte, Eduardo R.C. Capulong, Michael J. Churgin, Kate Evans, César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, Denise Gilman, Tanya Maria Golash-Boza, Geoffrey A. Hoffman, Alan Hyde, Ulysses Jaen, Ramzi Kassem, Elizabeth Keyes, Ira J. Kurzban, Annie Lai, Christopher N. Lasch, Beth Lyon, M. Isabel Medina, Vanessa Merton, Jason Parkin, Huyen Pham, Karen Pita Loor, William P. Quigley, Sarah Rogerson, Victor Romero, Rubén G. Rumbaut, Erica B. Schommer, Christian Sundquist, Maureen A. Sweeney, David B. Thronson, Mary Pat Treuthart, Yolanda Vázquez, Robin Walker Sterling, Richard A. Wilson, Stephen Wizner, and Mark E. Wojcik.SCHEINKMAN, P.J. The issue before us in this proceeding is both narrow and important. We must decide whether New York law permits New York state and local law enforcement officers to effectuate civil immigration arrests. The authority of federal civil immigration officers to effectuate such arrests is not before us. Nor do we have occasion to pass upon broad issues of immigration law and policy. Addressing only the precise question before us, and based on our [*2]analysis of the relevant statutes and precedents, we conclude that New York state and local law enforcement officers are not authorized by New York law to effectuate arrests for civil law immigration violations.The Relevant Facts The facts are undisputed. Susai Francis is a citizen of India. He entered the United States in ...
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