County Chair Kelly Fitzpatrick: Just to be clear, we are NOT agreeing to be an ICE detention facility
By Andrew Harris
On Wednesday January 28 the Steuben County Legislature will meet at 10am in Bath for a normal public meeting. Part of the agenda for that meeting is a request from Sheriff James Allard to renew an agreement with the federal government to house federal prisoners in the Steuben County Jail. That agreement has been in place for over 30 years according to County Chair Kelly Fitzpatrick. Legislators will vote to extend the agreement for three more years, effective February 1, 2026.
Steuben County released this statement today:
Public unease surrounds the meeting and the request from the Sheriff due to national news surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement, aka ICE. Several concerned readers have asked the Hornell Sun to inquire about the county creating a “ICE detention center.”
Based on those conversations it is clear that Steuben County is NOT seeking to create a dedicated facility for holding ICE detainees. The Steuben County Jail has been paid by the federal government to hold any federal prisoner, from the US Marshall, FBI, ICE, or any federal law enforcement agency for over 30 years. This new agreement would increase the per diem payment per prisoner to Steuben County to $130.
In an interview last week on BIG FOX “Frankly Speaking,” Sheriff Allard was asked about county cooperation with federal authorities. Allard made it clear that this was a long-standing cooperative agreement and that he had a good understanding in place with the regional ICE commander.
Allard told host Frank Acomb:
“I don’t want an incident in Steuben County where someone gets hurt….. I had a chat with the supervisor for ICE in this region who I talk to every now and then. He’s telling me that ‘if they don’t open the door we’re gonna bust the window in the car.’ I said to him, ‘you’re not going to do that here. That’s not how we work here and we’ll be here to help you.’
Local Democrats have notified party members about the meeting and have echoed the facts stated by Chairwoman Fitzpatrick, “Contrary to some reports, the agreement does NOT authorize the construction of an ICE detention facility in Steuben County.” The following message to Hornell Democrats was sent earlier today amid concerns about the meeting and questions:
| “Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard is seeking approval from the Steuben County Legislature to sign an updated intergovernmental agreement that allows federal prisoners (including ICE detainees) to be housed in the Steuben County Jail. The updated agreement will increase the per diem rate that the county charges the federal government. Contrary to some reports, the agreement does NOT authorize the construction of an ICE detention facility in Steuben County. A resolution on the agreement will be discussed during the Steuben County Legislature meeting on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 10:00 a.m., at the Steuben County Annex (20 E Morris St, Bath, NY 14810) What can you do? Contact your county legislator and ask them to explain their stance position on the resolution. The county legislators for the City of Hornell are… Daniel Warriner, Republican 607-324-0485 aldermanwarriner@gmail.com Paul E. Van Caeseele, Republican 607-590-8563 pvancaeseele@steubencountyny.gov Attend the legislative meeting on Wednesday. Arrive at least 15 minutes early and sign up to ask a question or make a comment about the resolution. At the appropriate time, the chair will grant you three minutes to speak. Click here to read the agenda Click here to read the resolution Click here to read the updated agreement |
