Feds Planning to put Immigration Detention Center in Rochester

A controversial plan by federal authorities to turn part of the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building in downtown Rochester into an immigration detention center has drawn sharp criticism from local leaders and residents, according to a report by WXXI News.

Documents reviewed by WXXI show that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is considering creating a small-scale, 24/7 immigrant detention facility inside the federal courthouse on State Street. The proposal would repurpose space on the first floor, formerly used by the U.S. Post Office, to install holding cells capable of housing detainees overnight or for several days, officials said.

The plan, which could be awarded imminently, has alarmed federal court administrators and others who operate out of the building. The Keating facility houses the federal courthouse, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service and a daycare — raising concerns about security, community impact and appropriateness of siting a detention operation in a downtown civic building.

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello issued a forceful statement opposing the proposal, calling it a threat to public trust and community safety.

“I am strongly opposed to the plan for ICE to put a detention center in the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building in downtown Rochester. This proposal would turn a civic building – in the heart of our community – into a site of detention, fear, and division. It is absolutely wrong and will undermine public trust and the safety of our community. I will continue to stand with local leaders and Monroe County residents to reject this proposal and call on the Trump administration to reverse this decision.”

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and others have echoed these concerns, criticizing what they describe as a lack of transparency and inadequate local input on the decision. City officials and state lawmakers, including Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, also condemned the reported plan, emphasizing that the building’s mixed uses — including the daycare — make it ill-suited for detention operations.

A spokesperson for the General Services Administration, which manages federal properties, said the agency is working to meet workspace needs for partner federal agencies but did not address specific safety concerns or comment on the status of the project award. Border Patrol, the agency that would operate the facility, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The episode has intensified broader debates in Rochester over federal immigration enforcement and local autonomy. Rochester is a sanctuary city and has previously clashed with federal authorities over immigration policy, a context that heightens sensitivity to any expansion of detention facilities in the community.

As the situation evolves, local leaders continue to call for transparency, public input, and a reversal of what they describe as a rushed and ill-considered federal proposal.