Hochul demands answers on New York ICE detention facilities

"You have repeatedly promised to coordinate with local communities. That’s not what’s happening," Hochul, a Democrat, wrote in the letter, which was released Monday. "Instead of focusing on the worst of the worst, your administration is detaining neighbors and coworkers, separating families, and secretly building the infrastructure to detain even more people." 

The governor pointed to news reports about ICE's plans to install immigration detention cells in a Rochester building "that houses a daycare and a federal court" over the objections of the community. 

Hochul pointed to separate plans in Batavia to expand an "already overcrowded" ICE detention center that had been flagged by a watchdog over allegations of improper treatment of detainees. 

In Newburgh, the Trump administration has reportedly signed an agreement to lease a warehouse for use as a detention facility. But Hochul said "no one has talked to the town, or the county, or the state, despite bipartisan public condemnation," Hochul wrote.

Hochul demanded Mullin provide details about the plans for building or expanding immigration detention facilities in the state, pointing out that President Donald Trump had made a "commitment" not to expand immigration enforcement actions in the state without her approval.

"My long standing policy has always been that we will cooperate with law enforcement when crimes have been committed and there is a warrant for arrest or a court order, because we want our streets to be safe as well; but this unbridled aggression against law-abiding New Yorkers must stop," Hochul wrote.

"New Yorkers, like all Americans, deserve honest answers about what their federal government is doing in their communities" she said. "And I demand your department provide that transparency." 

In a statement, DHS declined to provide details about its plans in New York and noted that ICE agents are facing heightened public threats over immigration enforcement actions.  

"ICE will not confirm office locations as our officers are facing a coordinated campaign of violence against them including an 8,000% increase in death threats against them and a 1,300% increase in assaults against them," an agency spokesperson said.

Hochul's demands come as White House Border Czar Tom Homan's is threatening to ramp up immigration enforcement in New York in response to Democrats efforts to restrict cooperation with immigration enforcement operations. 

In June, Hochul signed a bill that limits cooperation between state and local police with ICE agents by prohibiting the federal agency from deputizing local police to help detain undocumented immigrants and restricting where they can make arrests. The new law also prevents ICE agents from wearing masks or covering their faces during immigration operations. 

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit to block the restrictions from going into effect, claiming in federal court filings that the masking and ID requirements are unconstitutional.