Author: Concerned Residents of Greater Binghamton

9/18/2025 – Press Connect Article

Reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the Binghamton area have prompted local leaders to speak out.

On Sept. 16, images of people being taken into custody in Johnson City began circulating on social media. ICE has not returned a request for comment on any recent operations in the Binghamton area.

Following an outcry from residents, City of Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham said any ICE operations in the area are taking place without the Binghamton Police Department’s involvement or “even their prior notification.”

“I continue to be concerned by ICE raids and operations under the Trump administration, which have included the use of unidentified masked personnel and raise serious questions around constitutional policing, due process and accountability,” Kraham said in a statement. “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.”

The Broome County jail participates in the warrant service officer portion of ICE’s 287(g) program, which authorizes corrections staff to serve warrants to people being held at the jail.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the situation and referred a request for comment to ICE.

New York State Sen. Lea Webb and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo posted a joint statement on Facebook accusing ICE of “making arrests through profiling rather than by judicial warrant.”

Webb and Lupardo said they are in contact with other government officials and are working to “protect the community against ICE’s unwelcome presence.”

“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,” the statement said. “They deserve a pathway to citizenship rather than the unjust, inhumane treatment we are seeing with these raids.”

Concerned Residents of Greater Binghamton Coordinator Adam Flint said he and others within the organization started hearing reports of ICE arrests early on Sept. 16.

“What we believe is going on is racial profiling,” Flint said. “We believe ICE is out there on the streets looking for people that fit a profile that might allow them to meet their quota.”

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”.