Arrested illegal aliens from sophisticated Chilean theft ring set free since charges against them aren't bail eligible in NY



Arrested illegal aliens from a sophisticated Chilean theft ring were set free last week because the charges against them aren't bail eligible in New York state, WABC-TV reported.

The station said six men entered Florique Florists on Jericho Turnpike in Woodbury on Long Island just after 3 a.m. Nov. 7, cut through the roof, and then cut through a wall connected to Elegant Jewelers, Burglary Squad Detectives said.

'We need a change in these laws. Give the judges back their discretion. Let us do our jobs.'

The group left without taking any merchandise, but Nassau County Police told WABC they used radio jammers to hide the alarm system.

"How dangerous is that?" Nassau County Police Dept. Commissioner Patrick Ryder asked, according to WABC. "If someone is calling for an emergency, or another cop is called for an emergency and his radio doesn't work, because these thugs are inside trying to jam the radios so we don't get the alarm?"

All of the illegal aliens were arrested the next day at a home in Huntington they were renting, WABC said, adding that Homeland Security flagged all of the men as potential threats.

Police said Immigration and Customs Enforcement was notified, and while "one defendant has been remanded," the remaining five "have been released with no bail."

Turns out authorities weren't able to detain the five remaining suspects because their crimes were not bail eligible, WABC reported.

Police added that two of the suspects didn't report for their electronic monitors — and the three who did report cut off their electronic monitors. The station said they cut them off in New Jersey.

All of the suspects are charged with burglary and criminal mischief, WABC said.

New York bail laws at center of controversy once again

Authorities on Long Island are calling for a change to New York's bail laws in the wake of this incident, the station said.

Neither Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman nor his law-enforcement partners minced words about the situation, WABC reported.

"It's a damn disgrace," Blakeman said.

County District Attorney Ann Donnelly said she's "sick of it. We need a change in these laws. Give the judges back their discretion. Let us do our jobs."

You can view a video report here about the incident.

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Letitia James Files Lawsuit Against Nassau County Over Transgender Sports Ban

'We won’t let it stand in New York'

Men allowed back in women's sports in Nassau County after ruling from state supreme court judge



A New York state supreme court judge has issued a ruling that will allow males to join female-only sports teams in Nassau County once again.

In February, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order that barred trans-identifying males from joining female-only sports teams that use county athletic facilities for competition, as Blaze News previously reported.

"Lack of courage from a judge who didn’t want to decide the case on its merits."

However, many LGBTQ-related organizations immediately cried foul, and New York Attorney General Letitia James vowed to fight the executive order in court. In a cease and desist letter issued days later, James called Blakeman's executive order "discriminatory," "transphobic," and "illegal."

Now, it seems James and other LGBTQ+ supporters have won the first round of legal battles in this case. On Friday, in response to a lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Long Island Roller Rebels, a women’s roller derby league based in Nassau County, Justice Francis Ricigliano of the New York Supreme Court claimed that Blakeman lacked the authority to enact the policy regarding women's and girls' sports and therefore overruled it.

"This Court finds the County Executive acted beyond the scope of his authority as the Chief Executive Officer of Nassau County," Ricigliano wrote in the 13-page decision.

The judge claimed that the county legislature must first pass such a bill before the county executive can sign it into law. Thus, Ricigliano apparently did not consider the merits of the case but only the procedures undergirding it.

"Lack of courage from a judge who didn’t want to decide the case on its merits. Unfortunately girls and women are hurt by the court," Blakeman said about the judge and the ruling. He confirmed that he intends to appeal.

Meanwhile, AG James is celebrating the decision, calling it "a major victory" in the fight against discrimination. "My office will keep working to ensure every New Yorker is free to be who they are," she wrote on X.

— (@)

Amanda Urena — the vice president of Long Island Roller Rebels, who competes under the name Curly Fry, identifies as queer, and prefers they/them pronouns — likewise considers the judge's ruling "a victory" for inclusivity in the fight against "transphobia." "Today’s decision is a victory for those who believe that transgender people have the right to participate in sports just like everyone else," Urena said.

"County Executive Blakeman’s order tried to punish us just because we believe in inclusion and stand against transphobia. Trans people belong everywhere, including in sports, and they will not be erased."

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Biden-Appointed Federal Judge Hinders County From Enforcing Ban On Biological Males Competing In Women’s Sports

Blakeman's request 'falls far short of meeting the high bar,' the judge ruled

Woke women's roller derby league welcomes biological males who identify as female, sues county exec over trans restrictions



A woke women's roller derby league not only welcomes biological males who identify as female but also the league is suing a Nassau County, New York, leader over restrictions on teams with transgender women.

What are the details?

The Long Island Roller Rebels — a nearly 20-year-old amateur league — is suing Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman over his February executive order meant to prevent women’s and girls' leagues and teams with transgender players from using county-run parks and fields, the Associated Press reported.

The order affects more than 100 public facilities in the county of nearly 1.4 million just east of Queens, the AP said.

The New York Civil Liberties Union is backing the league's suit, the outlet added.

“The whole point of derby has been to be this thing where people feel welcome,” Amanda Urena — the league’s 32-year-old vice president who competes as “Curly Fry” and identifies as queer — told the AP at a recent practice at United Skates of America in Seaford. “We want trans women to know that we want you to come play with us, and we’ll do our very best to keep fighting and making sure that this is a safe space for you to play.”

More from the outlet:

Sports leagues and teams seeking permits to play or practice in county-run parks must disclose whether they have or allow transgender women or girls. Any organization that allows them to play will be denied a permit, though men’s leagues and teams aren’t affected. [...]

The Roller Rebels sought a county permit this month in hopes of hosting practices and games in county-owned rinks in the upcoming season, as they have in prior years. But they expect to be denied, since the organization is open to anyone who identifies as a woman and has one transgender player already on the roster.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has demanded the county rescind the ban, saying it violates state anti-discrimination laws, the AP reported, adding that Blakeman has asked a federal judge to uphold it.

"We are protecting girls’ right to compete against other girls," Blakeman said in February. "It makes no sense for biological boys who identify as transgender to compete against girls. It’s completely unfair. Biological boys are faster, bigger, and stronger. They have a physical advantage against women."

'There is a chance I would get hurt'

The AP pointed to a 2022 Washington Post-University of Maryland Poll that found that 55% of Americans were against trans women and girls competing with other women and girls in high school sports — and 58% were opposed to it for college and professional sports.

Trinity Reed, 21, who plays lacrosse at Nassau County’s Hofstra University, told the outlet, "There is a chance [a woman] would get hurt" when competing against transgender women players.

Mia Babino, 18 — who plays field hockey at the State University of New York at Cortland and plans to transfer to Nassau County’s Molloy University — also supports the ban, the AP said: “We’ve worked very hard to get to where we are and to play at a college level."

Image source: YouTube screenshot

'You should have a safe place to be'

The outlet noted that roller derby has been an LGBTQ "haven" for decades.

“You come in here and you say, ‘I’m a trans woman. I’m a nonbinary person. I’m genderqueer.’ OK? We accept you,” Caitlin Carroll, a Roller Rebel who competes as “Catastrophic Danger," told the AP. “The world is scary enough. You should have a safe place to be.”

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Grace McKenzie — a 30-year-old transgender woman who plays for the New York Rugby Club’s women’s team — added to the outlet that children still trying to navigate their gender identities will suffer most due to the county ban.

“Cruel is the only word that I can use to describe it,” McKenzie told the AP. “Kids are using sports at that age to build relationships, make friendships, develop teamwork skills, leadership skills and, frankly, just help shield them from all the hate they face as transgender kids already.”

Emily Santosus — a 48-year old Long Island transgender woman who hopes to join a women’s softball team — told the outlet that the ban is "a solution in search of a problem. We’re not bullies. We’re the ones that get bullied.”

A roller derby league challenges ban on transgender women in sportsyoutu.be

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Registered Republicans, independents in New York told they are Democrats on voter ID cards after 'human error'



A local printing company ignited outrage on Long Island last week after "human error" mistakingly showed Republican and independent voters that their party affiliation had been changed to support Democrats.

Last Tuesday, voters in Nassau County received voter identification cards in the mail. The cards provide voters with critical information about their voting status ahead of next month's primary election. But there was a glaring problem with the cards.

The party affiliation of each and every card told voters they are registered Democrats. That was a jarring discovery for about 500,000 voters in Nassau County who are registered Republicans, independents, and members of other political parties.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R) said the mistake understandably upset voters.

"We're already starting to get phone calls from people, saying 'I'm a registered Republican, I'm a registered Conservative — how come I'm being identified as a Democrat? Who changed my registration?' And they're quite upset about it," he said, WNBC-TV reported.

Who is apologizing?

Phoenix Graphics, a printing company located in Rochester, blamed the mistake on "human error."

The company said in a statement, according to WABC-TV:

Phoenix Graphics Inc. made a human error on Voter Information Cards for Nassau County. The voters' party affiliation may have been incorrect on the first mailing however polling site information is correct. We take responsibility for that. As soon as it was discovered we moved immediately to remedy the situation.

This is an isolated event, but we apologize for our mistake, especially to Nassau County officials, who bear no responsibility for this problem. We have fixed the error and at no cost to taxpayers will deliver corrected Voter Information Cards as soon as possible.

County officials confirmed that, despite the issue, each voter's affiliation in the official board of elections system was not impacted. Still, the company is reissuing cards.

"The cards are being reissued today with an apology from the vendor and the correct Party information. All voter information is accurate in our system, this purely a vendor error that is quickly being rectified," said Nassau County Democratic Elections Commissioner Jim Scheuerman.

Nassau County executive demands fix to voter mail check card error www.youtube.com

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