The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is being considered as a potential facility for housing detainees and facilitating deportation flights using military aircraft. As the Trump administration intensifies its deportation initiatives, two Congress members from Western New York are exploring ways to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in this endeavor.
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) and Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) are advocating for the airbase as a suitable location for detaining individuals and serving as a departure point for deportation flights. They are relaying this proposal from the Buffalo ICE office in a letter addressed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The airbase features runways exceeding 9,000 feet, currently utilized by large KC-135 tanker planes. It is also capable of accommodating Air Force C-17 transport jets, which have recently been utilized for deportation missions targeting immigrants classified as illegal after being apprehended by ICE agents under directives from the Trump administration.
Langworthy and Tenney believe that the airbase could serve as an effective staging area, potentially providing temporary housing for detainees before their deportation flights. The idea could alleviate the overcrowding issue at the ICE Detention Facility in Batavia, which is the only ICE facility in the northeastern United States. While there are other local jails contracted by the federal government for detention purposes, there are concerns that these facilities may become overwhelmed.
Langworthy emphasized the importance of having a local asset available for this mission, stating, "To have an asset deployed for their use, to use in this mission, right here in our backyard." The lawmakers also highlighted that there could be as many as 750,000 individuals in New York City alone, with approximately 58,000 identified as convicted felons or facing criminal charges.
In a statement, Tenney remarked, "Maximizing every available resource is crucial to carrying out President Trump's executive orders to detain and remove illegal aliens swiftly and efficiently, particularly those who pose security risks to our country."
Langworthy added that while additional funding from the Department of Defense would be necessary to repurpose the Air Reserve Station for Homeland Security's use, they are committed to advocating for this initiative.
Lawmakers Propose Niagara Falls Airbase for Deportation Operations