Federal officials want to create an immigration detention center inside the federal courthouse building as Rochester’s Border Patrol station looks to relocate downtown, according to documents reviewed by the Democrat and Chronicle.
The project could be awarded as soon as Feb. 27.
Edward Forst, administrator of the General Services Administration, apparently approved the plan against concerns and objections raised by local officials at the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building, records show. According to the documents, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol would create three holding cells inside the facility to house detainees for up to 72 hours.
The news comes as aggressive immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration have left detention centers nationwide overcrowded and riddled with humanitarian complaints.
“GSA is committed to working with all of our partner agencies to meet their workspace needs,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement. “GSA remains focused on supporting this administration’s goal of optimizing the federal footprint, and providing the best workplaces for our federal agencies to meet their mission.”
CBP did not immediately respond to emailed questions.
Plans to move Border Patrol inside Rochester courthouse years in the making
Some parts of the plan date back to at least 2024, according to a CBP budget proposal for FY2025.
The federal agency asked for $5 million to relocate its Rochester branch to the federal courthouse, saying its current location off Pattonwood Drive was overcrowded, lacked adequate parking for agents and was located in a high crime area. CBP’s lease on that building expires next month.
“The current location doesn’t meet operational needs, lacks proper processing and detention space thus presenting a clear and present safety risk for agents and professional staff,” CBP wrote.
The budget proposal suggested CBP could backfill an old post office space in the Keating building. It referenced prior manhours and funding expended with GSA to “complete the 100 percent design,” although it is not clear what that entailed.
City, state officials say plans moved forward in ‘secret’
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer called for more transparency and an opportunity for public review and input before the project moves forward.
“It is outrageous and absurd for Border Patrol to secretly try to build a detention center in the heart of downtown Rochester,” he said in a statement. “The Keating Federal Building is home to a daycare, the federal courthouse, and vital services Rochester families use every day. It is the wrong place for that kind of operation.”
Local Democratic elected officials criticized the proposal as news broke Friday afternoon.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said he “strongly opposes” any detention center inside the federal courthouse. “For Border Patrol to attempt this clandestine repurposing of this location without local input is inexcusable,” Evans said.
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said the plan “would turn a civic building ― in the heart of our community ― into a site of detention, fear and division.” U.S. Congressman Joe Morelle, D-Irondequoit, called the planning process “inappropriate” and blasted President Donald Trump for “a pattern of creating and escalating combustible situations and then forcing communities to deal with the fallout.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
— Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle with a focus on immigration, police accountability, government surveillance and how people are impacted by violence. Follow her on Instagram @bykaylacanne. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Federal officials plan immigration detention in Rochester courthouse
Reporting by Kayla Canne, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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