Federal lawmakers say they still have many questions and few answers about a proposal to build an immigration detention center in downtown Rochester.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection wants to relocate its local Border Patrol office from an independent, rented space on Pattonwood Drive to the first floor of the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building. As part of the move, CBP would create at least three holding cells inside the facility to house detainees 24/7, records show.
News about the plan broke late Friday, Feb. 27 ― the same day it was apparently slated to be approved by the General Services Administration, which oversees federal property. Local, state and federal lawmakers said they were blindsided by the project and overwhelmingly opposed plans for a detention center inside a building that houses a federal courthouse, a daycare, several congressional offices and services for the public.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Joe Morelle on March 5 sent a joint letter to CBP and GSA demanding more transparency around the project. The letter included a list of eight questions federal lawmakers want answered by March 13.
“No communication, no public comment period, and local leaders can’t even get basic details on their plans,” Schumer said in a statement. “We need answers now, no more secrecy.”
Among their questions:
“Let us be clear this is not how an agency should conduct operations in a community,” the lawmakers wrote. “We remain staunchly opposed to this plan and our constituents expect answers to these basic questions which should have already been made public.”
— 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: Lawmakers demand answers on proposed Rochester detention plan
Reporting by Kayla Canne, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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