ICE detention cells in downtown Rochester moving forwardROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Plans to build immigration detention holding cells inside the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building in downtown Rochester are moving forward, months after federal, state and local leaders raised concerns about the proposal.According to Rep. Joe Morelle's office, federal officials confirmed the project will proceed, with construction expected to begin May 23 and continue for more than a year.The project includes multiple detention holding areas, secure detainee transfer zones, expanded perimeter fencing, anti-scale security infrastructure and restricted-access parking areas inside and around the federal building, according to Morelle's office.The Keating Federal Building houses the federal courthouse and other services, including a daycare. Concerns over the site first surfaced earlier this year after Department of Homeland Security budget documents showed U.S. Customs and Border Protection requested $5 million to relocate the Rochester Border Patrol station from Pattonwood Drive in Irondequoit into the downtown federal building.At the time, federal officials had not publicly detailed plans to add detention space inside the building. Reports that the relocation could include holding cells prompted opposition from several Democratic leaders, including Morelle, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and Monroe County Executive Adam Bello.Morelle said Friday that the federal government is moving forward despite those concerns and does not intend to delay the project for public comment or local input."The federal government ignored our community, dodged basic questions, and decided to move forward with this project anyway," Morelle said in a statement. "The answers we received were evasive, insulting to the people of Rochester, and refused to address concerns about the impact this facility will have on families and children who use this building every day."Schumer also criticized the decision, saying the administration is moving ahead with "zero support or input from the courts and the Rochester community.""This is not the right building for this kind of operation," Schumer said in a statement. "They are denying Rochester a voice and hiding answers to basic questions about what will happen at this facility."In February, Schumer called the reported proposal "outrageous and absurd," saying the Keating building was the wrong place for that type of operation because it houses a daycare, the federal courthouse and services used by Rochester families.Morelle previously said he was "unequivocally opposed" to detention cells being installed "steps from a daycare and surrounded by homes and businesses." Evans called the location "horrible," while Bello said the proposal would turn a civic building "into a site of detention, fear, and division."Rochester City Council also called on DHS, Customs and Border Protection and the General Services Administration to halt any effort to implement detention space in Rochester.Monroe County Republicans defended the concept earlier this year, saying federal authorities routinely use federal facilities to carry out federal responsibilities. The party said a federal building is a "reasonable and appropriate place for federal processing," adding that processing individuals in Rochester could keep them closer to family and legal counsel instead of transporting them longer distances.Morelle said he plans to continue opposing the project. WROC has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for more information. We await their response.In a statement Monday, Rochester City Council strongly condemned the decision to move forward, saying public buildings "should represent access to services, justice and opportunity, not detention and intimidation."Council members said Rochester has long upheld sanctuary principles and argued the project would send "a troubling message to immigrant families who contribute every day to the economic, cultural and social fabric of Rochester.""Rochester City Council stands with our immigrant communities and with all neighbors who believe dignity, due process and humanity must remain at the center of public policy," the statement said. "We reject efforts that create fear in communities rather than invest in solutions that strengthen them."Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst.