Gov. Kathy Hochul is pressing federal immigration officials for details after reports surfaced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may be increasing its detention capacity across upstate New York.

In a letter sent to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Hochul requested clarification about reports that ICE is considering leasing a warehouse near Newburgh in the Hudson Valley while also expanding detention operations at federal facilities in Rochester and Batavia.

“New Yorkers, like all Americans, deserve honest answers about what their federal government is doing in their communities,” Hochul wrote. “I expect your department to provide that transparency.”

The federal government shouldn’t be planning immigration detention facilities in New York behind closed doors.

New Yorkers deserve transparency. I’m demanding answers from @SecMullinDHS. pic.twitter.com/kywhubIPNq

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 13, 2026

The request comes as Hochul and other New York Democrats continue to face criticism from President Trump and members of his administration, including border czar Tom Homan, over the state’s recently enacted sanctuary-style immigration measures.

ICE Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis defended the agency’s actions, arguing that New York’s policies limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration officers. She said those restrictions require ICE agents to make more public arrests after migrants with criminal records are released from local custody. Bis also maintained that many of the nation’s safest cities work closely with ICE and accused state leaders of allowing dangerous offenders back into communities. She said the agency would respond directly to Hochul’s letter.

New York’s recently approved immigration legislation prohibits local governments from allowing ICE to use their detention facilities. However, Hochul stopped short of alleging that ICE had violated the law, and her office acknowledged that the restriction applies only to local governments—not to federal facilities.

Earlier this month, Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James also filed a lawsuit seeking to prohibit federal immigration officers from wearing masks during enforcement operations.