NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y., June 12, 2025 - A press conference on will be held on June 12, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. in the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington, at 556 Peninsula Blvd., Hempstead, N.Y. to release video of ICE agents randomly stopping a Hispanic United States Citizen and demanding identification without any reasonable suspicion or probable cause.
Caught on video (which will be made available to the press), an ICE agent without a judicial warrant or any basis to stop Elzon Lemus, a passenger in a car and demands that he provide identification because he “look[s] like somebody we are looking for.” The video shows the officer’s threat that if Mr. Lemus doesn’t provide his identification that “it may not work out well for you!” The officer then places his hand in the car and opens the door from the inside and has Mr. Lemus exit the car. The video is turned off and then Mr. Lemus is searched and has his belongings removed from his pockets. The officers then refuse to identify themselves, despite being asked for their names and badge numbers or some form of identification. Then, after traumatizing Mr. Lemus, the ICE agents walked away without apology or any consideration for the harm caused.
Mr. Lemus will provide the details of his abuse and the contemptible actions of the ICE agent. This violation occurred in Nassau County where Nassau government and Nassau County Police have entered into an agreement to work with ICE. We may not be able to stop federal agency activity, but we can make sure that our local police are not collaborating with an agency that behaves that treating people with disrespect and disregard for their rights based on their race and ethnicity is way to operate. The horrendous behavior of ICE in this case serves as an example which proves that local police should not be anywhere near that kind of behavior.
When local law enforcement cooperates with ICE, the communities cannot trust that they can truly depend on the police for help, act as witnesses or even report crimes. The action of the officer in this case is what local police will serve as supporters of. We know that people are not sending their kids to school, are afraid to grocery shop and are even afraid to call ambulances. The bill NY4ALL, which is before the New York State Legislature will prohibit our local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with ICE and engaging in abuses like this.
The link to the video will be available at a press conference on June 12, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. at 556 Peninsula Blvd., Hempstead, N.Y., where Mr. Lemus will appear with his attorneys and members of the community.