A judge has blocked the construction of a Southampton day laborer hiring site, deeming the spot parkland that should be protected.

Southampton Mayor Mark Epley wanted to create the site out of a six-acre abandoned lot across the street from an area where undocumented workers typically line up to get work. Epley says Immigration and Customs Enforcement told him it was his only option for dealing with the workers.

However, some Southampton residents filed a lawsuit, claiming the lot is designated parkland. A Supreme Court judge agreed in a decision delivered Tuesday. According to an attorney for the plaintiffs, any plans for a hiring site have effectively been quashed.

Mayor Epley says the solution for dealing with the workers ultimately lies at the federal level. He also says he is not sure what his next step should be, but he has not given up on establishing a hiring site.