Some local elected officials are speaking out in response to confirmed sightings of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Broome County.

Last week, ICE officials arrested two men in Johnson City, with an agency spokesperson telling WSKG that they lacked “the proper documents to remain” in the country. Residents on social media platforms have also reported other ICE arrests in the Greater Binghamton area.

In a statement released last week, Mayor Jared Kraham indicated that ICE activity was taking place without any involvement from the Binghamton Police Department.

“I’ll again share my position from weeks ago — the Binghamton Police Department will not partner with ICE on these types of enforcement activities, nor will Binghamton police officers be allowed to serve as task force agents for ICE,” Kraham said. “Further, BPD has not and will not participate in ICE’s 287(g) program, which allows local agencies to partner with ICE on certain enforcement matters.”

ICE did not return Pipe Dream’s request for comment.

On Jan. 20, shortly after his inauguration for a second term, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to “faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens.” The directive also ordered the secretary of homeland security to legally facilitate partnerships with state and local officials to assist in federal immigration enforcement.

These agreements, known as the 287(g) program, come in three different models and are authorized under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.

In March, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office announced it would participate in the Warrant Service Officer program, which allows state and local law enforcement “to serve and execute administrative warrants on aliens in their agency’s jail,” according to the program’s website.

A spokesperson for Sheriff Fred Akshar told Pipe Dream that his office “has not been involved with any immigration enforcement in the community” and that any warrants issued would be for individuals already in the correctional facility.

As of Sept. 19, the facility held 51 ICE detainees and 26 U.S. Marshals Service detainees. The number of detainees “fluctuate[s] frequently,” according to Ashkar’s office, and is not connected to participation in the 287(g) program.

State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo MA ‘84 called ICE’s presence “unwelcome” in the community.

“Many of those being targeted have come to our country to provide a better life for their families and are doing jobs few people are interested in,” said Webb and Lupardo in a joint statement last week. “They deserve a pathway to citizenship rather than the unjust, inhumane treatment we are seeing with these raids.”

On Sept. 11, over 150 activists and community members gathered at the United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton to listen to four panelists discuss Akshar’s participation in the 287(g) program and how new arrestees are treated in the county jail.

One of the panelists discussed the “New York for All” act, a proposed bill that would prohibit local and law enforcement officials statewide from signing agreements with ICE. States like California and Washington have enacted laws restricting certain officials from partnering with federal immigration enforcement and asking questions about residents’ citizenship status.

Miles Burnett, a Democrat running for mayor of Binghamton, claimed in a Facebook post that he would support passing a law to officially prohibit the city’s police department from cooperating with ICE if he was elected.

Nationwide, immigrant rights activists have also expressed concern about the possibility of ICE agents using racial profiling tactics. On Sept. 8, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted an injunction placed by a federal district court that prevented immigration agents from stopping people in the Los Angeles area if those stops were based on any of the following factors: an individual’s presence at certain locations like bus stops, agricultural sites and car washes; “the type of work one does;” “speaking Spanish or English with an accent;” and “apparent race or ethnicity.”

The American Civil Liberties Union and the American Immigration Council said the decision allows for racial profiling to be used in immigration raids, while the Department of Homeland Security said the federal government enforces the law “without fear, favor, or prejudice.”

Hussein Adams, executive director and CEO of the American Civic Association, told Pipe Dream that ICE activity nationwide has instilled fear in the local immigrant community. He said that many immigration agents wear face masks and do not have body cameras, which he said creates fear and distrust of law enforcement.

The ACA can provide immigrants with various services, including naturalization assistance, status adjustments and connections with potential employers.

ICE has also reportedly placed U.S. citizens in its custody. Over the summer, immigration officials allegedly arrested several Americans in California, including a 23-year-old pregnant woman.

“As Mayor, I believe Binghamton’s police resources should be focused on neighborhood safety and crime, not civil immigration enforcement, and certainly not performative or incendiary law enforcement activity that erodes trust in our communities,” Kraham said.

“ICE should be transparent, quickly, in what arrests have been made and where they have been operating in our community,” he continued.