Facility
processing-center
Operational
Buffalo Federal Detention Facility (Batavia) — NY's only ICE detention center, overcrowded
Genesee, NY
FIPS 36037
650 beds (expanded from 400 in FY2026; routinely holds 745+)
Bed capacity
Operator: ICE (federal)
New York’s only dedicated ICE detention center, located in Genesee County. The facility has been at the center of multiple investigations and legal actions in 2025-2026 due to overcrowding, medical failures, use-of-force violations, and due process concerns around secret charter flights.
Capacity and Overcrowding
- Rated capacity increased from 400 beds (FY2025) to 650 beds (FY2026)
- As of February 2026, holding 745 detainees — 15% over capacity
- Daily average of 727 detainees since early June 2025
- 83% of detainees have no criminal history; 80% assessed as “No Threat”
- Average length of stay: 37 days (Feb 2026)
- Serves as the detention hub for all of upstate NY: Western NY, North Country, Southern Tier
OIG Inspection (June 2025)
DHS Inspector General conducted an unannounced inspection resulting in report OIG-25-24 (June 2025):
- Guards improperly used force against detainees in at least two documented instances
- Facility lacked a doctor and dentist working on-site
- 150-person backlog of detainees awaiting outside medical appointments (Sep 2024-Feb 2025)
- Ranked 7th nationwide for use of solitary confinement among 56 ICE facilities
Charter Flights
Between January 2025 and March 21, 2026, 226 suspected ICE charter flights operated in and out of Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Flights do not appear on standard departure boards. Raises constitutional concerns over due process, legal access, and transparency.
Other Issues
- Book ban: Facility banned book deliveries (October 2025) — NY Focus reporting
- Legal mail settlement: January 9, 2026 settlement in PLS v. DHS ended policy allowing ICE to open privileged legal mail
- Shoddy medical care: The Intercept investigation (November 2025) documented systemic medical failures
Sources
- 13WHAM: ICE detainee population exceeds capacity (2026)
- Investigative Post: Batavia facility overcrowded for months (Oct 2025)
- DHS OIG: Unannounced Inspection Report OIG-25-24 (June 2025)
- The Intercept: Shoddy Medical Care (Nov 2025)
- WGRZ: ICE charter flights raise constitutional concerns (2026)
- NY Focus: Book ban (Oct 2025)
- Investigative Post: Covering ICE in Western NY (Dec 2025)