Buffalo Federal Detention Facility

The Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia houses inmates arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Some of the inmates have begun a hungry strike in protest of what they say are abhorrent conditions within the facility.

Advocates and attorneys are decrying how detainees at the Federal Detention Center are treated after they exit the Batavia facility. Phil Gambini of Investigative Post reports on how detainees are dropped off at a gas station that also serves as a service point for bus transportation. After the report aired, officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement refuted the story, claiming it "takes away from the professionalism of the men and women that work at the facility." In a morning conversation with WBFO, Gambini discussed the facts behind his story.

Eleven detainees have tested positive for the coronavirus at an immigration detention center in Batavia as of Wednesday. The number of confirmed cases has almost tripled since last week.

Immigrant advocates are concerned not enough is being done to prevent COVID-19 from entering and spreading within the ICE detention facility in Batavia. ICE was in federal court Monday and provided steps they are taking to meet CDC standards. The same day, accounts from multiple detainees said there is a lack of testing, social distancing and medical care for those showing symptoms.

Due to the close confines and high risk for exposure, jails are one of the prime places for an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. This has caused concern from the New York Civil Liberties Union about the ICE detention facility in Batavia.