U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy (NY-23) and U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-21) announced Monday they sent a letter to newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting the Department of Defense consider opening the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) to support Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations with additional bed space for detainees and as a point of departure for deportation flights.

The letter states, “The Northeast U.S. currently has only one ICE-operated Service Processing Center, located in Batavia, NY. This facility, though critical, cannot solely handle the growing demand for detention and deportation processing. With an estimated 759,218 illegal immigrants residing in New York City alone, including 58,000 individuals who are either convicted felons or facing criminal charges, the need for additional detention capacity is clear. Local facilities are overwhelmed, and it is imperative that we have the resources necessary to address this serious public safety concern.

“The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station’s role in supporting our national defense can be enhanced by partnering with ICE in this effort to ensure the swift and secure removal of high-priority illegal immigrants from the United States.”

Both Congressional representatives note the Niagara Falls location would help ease the burden on local law enforcement and detention centers while advancing President Trump’s agenda of maintaining public safety through efficient and effective deportations.

“One of my top priorities when I got home from Washington was to set up an in-person briefing with the Buffalo ICE office to hear directly from them about how their operations have ramped up under President Trump’s executive actions to deport criminal illegals,” Langworthy said. “In that meeting, I learned that the ICE Processing Center in Batavia is nearly at capacity, and with the massive illegal population accused and convicted of crimes in New York, opening the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station to support their efforts will help ensure they can continue to swiftly execute the President’s orders. As the Department of Defense is already aiding the Department of Homeland Security in its border security measures, it makes perfect sense to ask Secretary Hegseth to consider this request. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the entire federal government is working together to make our country safer.”