L.I. lawmakers sue Nassau executive Blakeman for creating taxpayer-funded militia of armed civilians ‘in secrecy’

Long Island lawmakers have sued Nassau County enforcement Bruce Blakeman and a section sheriff for a programme sanctioning a taxpayer-funded militia of equipped civilians shrouded “in secrecy.”

The suit challenges the legality of the “special lawman sheriffs” programme announced successful March 2024 to nationalist outcry by Blakeman, which authorizes the activation of “minimally trained, unregistered backstage civilians to enactment arsenic peculiar sheriff’s deputies with authorization to usage deadly unit and marque arrests nether colour of law” if Blakeman declares an emergency.

The suit, filed Tuesday by Democratic members of the Nassau County legislature’s nationalist information committee, Debra Mulé and Scott Davis, alleges that Blakeman — a salient Republican and state of President Trump — and Nassau County Sheriff Anthony LaRocco person stonewalled their requests for basal accusation astir the program’s improvement and withheld details of however it’s being funded successful their 2025 fund connection to the section legislature.

In a connection Wednesday, 1 of their lawyers, civilian rights lawyer Carey Dunne, said allowing section leaders to limb civilians and assistance them constabulary powers could person nationwide implications.

“County Executive Blakeman’s militia endangers nationalist information successful Nassau County and the wellness of our ideology nationwide,” Dunne said. “Our suit alleges an authoritarian powerfulness drawback successful the bosom of suburban America, wherever a handpicked radical of equipped vigilantes operates secretly astatine the beck and telephone of an unchecked executive.”

One petition for accusation denied by Blakeman and LaRocco past twelvemonth sought details astir what grooming the militia members — paid $150 regular stipends — were undergoing, wherever they were receiving it, who was conducting the training, however galore hours were required, and however overmuch it was each costing New York taxpayers, according to the lawsuit.

The suit says the militias are amerciable nether New York law, which, successful emergencies, allows section constabulary departments to enlist officers from municipalities’ instrumentality enforcement agencies, and questions the request for civilian paramilitaries erstwhile Nassau County — ranked past twelvemonth arsenic the safest region successful the U.S. — has a constabulary section with 2,500 members, hundreds of unarmed civilian volunteers, and the quality to petition assistance from 60,000 registered officers statewide. 

“Defendants person not publically explained however a radical of little than 1 100 equipped civilians would materially assistance the thousands of trained, registered, sworn, and equipped constabulary and bid officers disposable to conscionable the needs of Nassau County residents successful the lawsuit of an emergency,” the suit filed successful Nassau County Supreme Court reads.

It’s besides unclear who has been recruited truthful far, the suit details, referencing reporting successful Newsday that said 25 radical had been signed up arsenic of September, six of whom Blakeman and LaRocco had refused to stock details astir publicly. 

The suit seeks a tribunal bid uncovering Blakeman and LaRocco’s instauration of the civilian militia with payer funds illegal, an bid barring them from continuing to usage nationalist funds and resources to deputize backstage citizens, and a directive they respond afloat to an outstanding Freedom of Information Law request, which besides seeks accusation connected what weapons recruits are being equipped with.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) marque arrests arsenic portion of Operation Cross Check. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

The suit was brought connected the aforesaid time Blakeman announced a never-before-seen inaugural that volition spot 10 Nassau County detectives spouse with national Immigration and Customs Enforcement to assistance transportation retired Trump’s wide deportations.  

At a property league Tuesday, Blakeman and Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder refused to regularisation retired that section detectives “working connected behalf of ICE” would not people undocumented immigrants who person not been accused of convulsive crimes. The Trump medication has made wide it regards anyone successful the U.S. without documentation to beryllium a criminal. 

Asked whether the civilian militias would beryllium enlisted to enactment alongside ICE, Blakeman said, “They person thing to bash with this.” Representatives for Blakeman and LaRocco did not respond to the Daily News’s inquiries Wednesday.  

At a property league Wednesday announcing the suit, Seth Koslow, a Democrat who plans to situation Blakeman successful the wide predetermination successful November, said that though Blakeman denied the militias would beryllium progressive successful the ICE partnership, it was intolerable to corroborate fixed the deficiency of transparency.

“I don’t judge erstwhile helium says helium won’t usage them. I’m acrophobic helium volition activate them and state an exigency wherever an exigency doesn’t exist,” Koslow said. “He’s already said helium tin usage the militia for protests oregon for thing helium deems to beryllium an emergency. We don’t cognize what helium wants to do. We don’t cognize what they’re trained to grip due to the fact that helium hasn’t told us.”