ICE Considers Fort Wadsworth for Immigrant Detention – Local Officials Alarmed

URGENT UPDATE: Federal authorities are reportedly considering using the historic Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island as a temporary detention site for immigrants. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is evaluating the former military facility, which overlooks New York Bay, raising alarm among local officials and community leaders.

According to the New York Times, ICE officials conducted an on-site assessment of Fort Wadsworth last week. The possibility of utilizing this 226-acre federal property for immigrant detention is currently under discussion; however, it remains unclear whether ICE will move forward with this plan.

Local officials are voicing strong opposition to the proposal. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who represents Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, expressed her concerns in a statement to SILive.com, emphasizing the site’s strategic importance for U.S. Coast Guard operations and its historical significance. “The site is not suitable to house migrants,” Malliotakis stated. “We’ve made this very clear, both publicly and privately, and we do not anticipate any such plans.”

As of now, ICE has not confirmed the use of Fort Wadsworth for detention purposes. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency of ICE, declined to comment on the matter.

This potential plan surfaces amidst ongoing immigration challenges in New York City. Currently, most immigrants arrested by ICE are processed at the agency’s office in Lower Manhattan before being moved to jails and detention facilities in New Jersey, upstate New York, or Pennsylvania. Notably, New York City has not had a major immigration detention center since 2010, when the Varick Street Detention Facility, which held up to 250 immigrants, was closed.

Fort Wadsworth is currently home to housing and offices for the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Park Police. The New York Times also reported that ICE has been expanding its detention capacity in the region this year, with arrangements to hold over 100 detainees at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, and plans for up to 50 detainees at the Nassau County Jail on Long Island. Additionally, a 1,000-bed facility is being established across the Hudson River in Newark.

As the situation develops, local officials are calling for transparency and clarity on ICE’s plans. The growing concern over the potential use of Fort Wadsworth as a detention site highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding immigration policy and its local impacts.

Stay tuned for updates as this story unfolds.