Residents and expert panel voice their concerns about Broome County Sheriff’s Office’s relationship with I.C.E.

9/12/2025 – 12 First Alert Article

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WBNG) — On Thursday evening, a panel comprised of attorneys, the CEO and President of the American Civic Association and other experts against the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Southern Tier spoke at Binghamton United Presbyterian Church about Broome County’s collaboration with the federal department.

Over 150 people from across Broome County gathered at the church to listen to panel speakers and voice their concerns over the collaboration.

Organizer of the event and Coordinator of Concerned Residents Greater Binghamton, Adam Flint, told 12 News, he believes the County’s participation in the 287(g) program is a misuse of tax dollars and harbors fear within the community.

“We should not have our tax dollars and our facilities used for this. It makes people scared of going to authorities, it creates legal liabilities, it’s the wrong thing to do,” said Flint.

Jail Visitation Project Coordinator for Justice and Unity in the Southern Tier Luna Azcurrain alleges, Broome County is only reimbursed for 50% of the costs of collusion, meaning that local taxpayers are picking up the rest of the tab.

“Not only are we paying to help detain these folks, we are also now paying to have more staff because now the jail has more population. So, it becomes actually very costly to run this agreement,” said Azcurrain.

However, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office FAQ document regarding the 2879(g) program states, “detainees ($110.00 per detainee per day), whether they be U.S. Marshals, FBI or ICE, are all directed to the Broome County general fund and serve to offset costs, not increase costs to taxpayers”.

In a statement to 12 News, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office said, “This same group of activists continues attempting to spread lies and misinformation about the Broome County Sheriff’s Office’s relationship to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Despite these repeated falsehoods, our BCSO team has been crystal clear with our community from the start. The BCSO’s specific participation in the 287(g) program has zero impact on immigration enforcement in Broome County or any other community”.