$92 Million Payout Approved—Here’s Who Can Still Claim Up to $48,000 From NYC Detention Settlement

There is a lottery process to check if you are viable for a one-time cash reward amounting to $48,000, which is also hardly known by the citizens. New York City was made official of a $92.5 million class action lawsuit settlement with the Department of Correction on April 9, 2025, stating that the settlement involved the incarceration of individuals who were allegedly wrongfully kept detained, longer than it was allowed by law.

What caused the case is the existence of ICE detainers. The main allegation of the lawsuit was the city’s detention of people in prison who have finished their sentences only on the grounds of the ICE’s request, thus, their legal rights have been violated.

The amount of compensation has been confirmed and the last date that one can use to file claims is May 15, 2025. Here’s everything to know about it.

What Is the Settlement About?

The infliction of people by officials of the New York City Department of Correction pretending that they were still in custody after April 1, 1997, to December 21, 2012, even if they were actually free was the main aspect of the issue raised in the class action suit. It was alleged that this was done as a result of the frequent requests of ICE for the same even after all the other legal requirements of release had been fulfilled.

According to the Department Administrator of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), detainers are only valid for 48 hours. However, in the lawsuit, it is cited that people spent more than 48 hours in custody, and this occurred in the absence of the judges’ directives. You might wish to go through the official settlement details provided in order to get a more comprehensive account of the issue.

Even though it states that New York City is not at fault, still, they agreed to set aside the said amount of $92.5 million for the settlement and the eventual closing of the case.

Who Can Claim?

Two groups of people are entitled to receive the payments:

• Statute of Limitations Group: Those who were detained from April 1, 1997, to January 31, 2007
• Recent Group: Those who were detained from February 1, 2007, to December 21, 2012

To be eligible, your only reason for continuing to be held in prison after your release date should have been an ICE detainer. You don’t have to have been accused of or penalized for immigration crimes to participate.

How Much Can You Get?

The sums change according to the length of time you were held and to which group you belong:

• Statute of Limitations Group: Typical payouts range from $10,000 to $24,000
• Recent Group: Typical payouts range from $20,000 to $48,000

If you were detained beyond your scheduled release date for multiple days, your compensation would be high. The only thing you need to know about the calculation of the payment and the meaning of the terms is given on the official website: www.NYCICESettlement.com.

Do You Need Proof?

A most striking aspect of this case is that it doesn’t need any evidence or documents to be filed in the first place. The complainants are only required to fill in a form and wait for an approval from the administrator.

However, in case you have courtroom documents, release papers from jail, or immigration records that would indicate your prolonged detention, these would be greatly appreciated.

When Is the Deadline?

The final date for submitting the claim or choosing not to is on 15th May 2025. The last hearing is planned to take place on October 6, 2025, to confirm the settlement, as reported by Business Wire.

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Failure to act will lead to no payment to you, and you will lose the possibility of pursuing a separate lawsuit against NYC.

Why This Is Important

This is deemed as one of the biggest payouts in recent memory in connection with ICE detentions. Advocates in the immigration sphere have been voicing it as an era of accountability and policies that oppressed mostly low-income and immigrant communities.

As per lawyers, the case at hand shows that there has been an excess of detentions for decades that had never been checked—and now it gives back a chance to be compensated in the form of money.

How you can make a claim

• Go to the official website: www.NYCICESettlement.com
• Complete the online claim form.
• If preferred, you can also print and send the form by post.
• Submit before May 15, 2025.

The good news is that there are no charges, and indeed, you don’t need a lawyer to take part.

If you or someone who you know as a friend or family member were incarcerated by New York City’s jails during the years 1997 – 2012 and then eventually beyond their legal release date, this compensation could be worth thousands of dollars. The time is ticking and you still have a chance to check if you are eligible and submit the claim immediately.