Hofstra University Opening New Legal Clinic For Immigrants

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- One Long Island university  is opening a new legal clinic for immigrants.

The clinic at Hofstra University is designed to be a free way to help immigrants facing deportation, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.

The new service comes after 40 foreign nationals were detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in New York City, according to a memo released by organization last week.

"This clinic is for people who may be picked up in the raids," Patrick Young, of the Central American Refugee Center, said. "It's also going to be assisting people who may have already gotten a deportation order." 

According to Young, one person was arrested in Greenport, Long Island during the raids.

"We know it's not something ICE normally does because the president has never tweeted about raids before," Young said. "The raids that took place last week, certainly we've seen them at other times in the past, but when they've occurred other times in the past, they've also been unusual."

According to the ICE memo, the operation "targeted public safety threats, such as convicted criminal aliens and gang members, and individuals who have violated our nation's immigration laws, including those who have re-entered the country after being deported and and immigration fugitives ordered deported by federal immigration judges."

Hofstra University law students will help run the clinic and interpreters will be available.