ICE arrests in jails across New York County have skyrocketed
In a move that has sparked controversy among residents and local legislators, seven counties in New York have joined the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's immigration detention network this spring. This decision has nearly doubled the number of immigration detainees in local jails across the state.
Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar recently released a 'Just the Facts' Q&A document in response to protests about ICE detentions. The document sheds light on the financial implications of these detentions for the counties involved.
County and jail officials tend to welcome the revenue brought in by holding ICE detainees, as it helps cover staff salaries and other expenses. In fact, using available beds to generate revenue by housing prisoners for the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other New York counties was the second item on the sheriff's list of objectives for the corrections division in this year's Broome County budget.
However, this decision has not been without opposition. Some county residents and local legislators argue that the use of detention agreements to generate revenue for the county is unacceptable, particularly when it comes to holding individuals who have committed no crime.
The jails' immigration detention agreements have been a contentious issue, with some residents and lawmakers questioning the morality and legality of their counties' involvement in the Trump administration's deportation dragnet. In recent years, two jails, in Orange and Clinton counties, consistently held federal immigration detainees. But since February, Allegany, Broome, Montgomery, Nassau, and Niagara counties have joined them.
Under President Barack Obama, more than 20 jails participated in ICE's detention network, together holding an average of 140-170 ICE detainees a day during most of his presidency. However, during Trump's first term, fewer jails participated, but more people - more than 200 a day on average - were in them. Since the start of Trump's second term, the network - and the number of people moving through it - has grown substantially.
ICE will pay participating counties millions of dollars in total this year to detain people the agency is seeking to deport. Sheriffs argue that this is a costly endeavour for the county jails, but for some, such as Clinton County, the revenue collected from holding people for ICE and the US Marshals has allowed the county to avoid raising taxes to cover the sheriff's budget.
It's important to note that the detention contracts are separate from so-called 287(g) agreements, which deputize local officers to assist with federal immigration enforcement. The ongoing crisis in New York's prisons has made federal money more enticing for county jails, leading some sheriffs to view the contracts with ICE as a way to earn some revenue for the county and maintain jobs for officers.
However, county legislators have limited control over their local sheriffs' departments' relationships with federal immigration authorities. In protest of ICE detentions, Democratic county legislator Mary Kaminsky resigned from an advisory group to the sheriff. Some county lawmakers did not learn about the ICE detentions until months after they began or until contacted by New York Focus.
The length of time ICE detainees stay in the jails varies widely, with some staying as short as two days and others averaging 33 days in Orange County. Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck amended his contract with the US Marshals so that ICE can't use the agreement to hold people at his jail, citing a 2018 state court ruling that sheriffs in New York can't honor ICE detainers.
The total number of people arrested for immigration reasons and detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the first seven months of 2025 in these jails is nearly 2,800, a nearly sixfold increase. This increase in detainees has raised concerns about the capacity of the jails to accommodate this influx, particularly given the state's ban on private detention centres and the often near or overcapacity state ICE detention facility.
As the debate over ICE detentions in local jails continues, it is clear that this is an issue that will require careful consideration and thoughtful dialogue from all parties involved.
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