August 8, 2026
Dear Friends,
The immigration enforcement pursued under this Trump administration has been nothing short of deplorable. We’ve seen the president’s gang of masked ICE agents descend on thousands of families and individuals, breaking into their homes without warrants, separating children from their parents, and employing deadly force without provocation.
Our own district has suffered at the hands of ICE — including Johan Sandoval and his family. Johan was arrested by ICE due to an administrative error with his student visa and was detained at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility for 13 days. Johan told me that ICE staff attempted to pressure him into signing self-deportation paperwork during his initial processing and that others detained with him were pressured to do the same during their intake. He said he was forced to sleep on the floor because of bed shortages. ICE now requires him to wear an ankle monitor and ICE officers have made multiple visits to his home since he was released, creating anxiety for him, his family, and his neighbors.
ICE is treating Johan and other members of our community like violent criminals, harassing families, and ultimately creating an atmosphere of fear for all residents in our communities.
This is not who we are as a nation. We are supposed to uphold the values of freedom, democracy, and the American Dream. Instead, the very people who came here in pursuit of that dream are afraid to attend school, go to their jobs, go to church, and even leave their homes for fear of being hunted down, detained, deported, and even killed. In their brutal and deadly campaign, ICE has lost all public trust and credibility. As it exists and operates, this agency cannot continue. I’ll keep calling for an end to this agency. But so long as this deadly group continues to exist and operate, I remain committed to enforcing whatever transparency and accountability is within my power.
That’s why this week, I travelled to the Buffalo Detention Facility in Batavia to speak with detainees as well as facility leadership, and to conduct general oversight on this facility. I made a similar visit last year, but was denied entry. Public Law 118-47, Section 527(a) states that a Member of Congress cannot be obstructed from entering any such facility. Despite that clear law, I was denied at the door. The facility staff blocking my entry at the gate went so far as to confirm that they knew they were in violation of the law.
Following months of push back from Democrats and the courts, federal rulings reasserted our access to these sites and forced the Trump administration to comply. This week, I was able to enter and tour the facility and see their health center, kitchens, legal counseling area, and other areas throughout the center, as well as speak with detainees.
What I heard gave me great cause for concern. I spoke with one man with no criminal history who said that he was actively pursuing a path to U.S. citizenship when he was suddenly picked up by ICE agents. And I learned more about a recent plan to expand this facility to hold an additional 100 more detainees. I saw with my own eyes that far more detainees than not had no criminal history whatsoever. ICE’s own data confirms that, for every 1 detainee at Batavia who has a criminal record, there are 5 or 6 detainees with no record at all, violent or non-violent. Trump and his administration claimed up and down they were going after “the worst of the worst.” But that is simply not the case. They are spending billions of taxpayer dollars to fund their mass deportation campaign — people like Johan and so many other individuals who are just trying to live their lives and contribute to our communities are being swept up, detained, and deported in the process.
This chaos and pain needs to end. Republicans need to join us in passing legislation that addresses the cost-of-living crisis so many Americans are facing, not writing more blank checks that enable an out-of-control agency to brutalize our communities. I’ll keep pushing for Congress to meet this moment and the needs of the American people.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from governments and agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- NBRC’s New York Service Area includes the following counties: Cayuga, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Orleans, Oswego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie*, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Sullivan, Washington, Warren, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates.
- Pre-Application office hours are also available for interested applicants:
- This session focused on Fall 2026 grant opportunities and pre application requirement is designed to support prospective applicants with additional guidance and resources for submitting pre-applications. NBRC staff will be available to answer questions and help you navigate the process.
- Wednesday, August 12 - 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM EDT - REGISTER
