Construction could begin later this month on what has been alternately described as a Border Patrol station and an ICE detention facility at the federal courthouse downtown.
U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle, D-Irondequoit, announced the start date in a news release Friday, describing it as an ICE detention facility. The plan made public thus far has been to relocate U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s field office from Pattonwood Drive.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a separate agency from Customs and Border Protection. Whichever moves in is expected to fill the old Post Office inside the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on State Street.
Few details have been provided, but the Border Patrol plan was to convert the space into offices, with at least three temporary holding cells, plus K9 kennels and other features. Members of Rochester's congressional delegation and others have raised objections and pressed for details but say they have received little to no response.
“The federal government ignored our community, dodged basic questions, and decided to move forward with this project anyway," Morelle said in the news release. "The answers we received were evasive, insulting to the people of Rochester, and refused to address concerns about the impact this facility will have on families and children who use this building every day."
CBP has expressed interest in moving downtown sine 2019, and included the project its 2025 budget request.
The building currently houses federal courts — but not immigration courts — as well as a U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service and a daycare.
The release from Morelle cited a “response from DHS” — the Department of Homeland Security — stating that the project would include “multiple detention holding areas, secure detainee transfer zones, expanded perimeter fencing, anti-scale security infrastructure, and restricted-access parking areas inside and around the federal building.”
“Construction is expected to begin later this month on May 23 and continue for more than a year,” the release continued, “with Trump administration officials confirming they do not intend to delay the project for public comment or local input.”
A spokesperson for Morelle was unable to provide further detail or documentation of that response and instead referred questions to Border Patrol. A spokesperson for that agency was not immediately able to confirm details — including the idea of starting work next Saturday, the start of Memorial Day weekend.
The General Services Administration, which oversees federal property, referred questions to Border Patrol.
