Buffalo Becomes Epicenter of ICE Crackdown in Upstate New York as Arrests Surge

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 01: Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin speaks during a press conference at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) NY field office on September 01, 2026 in New York City. Mullin was joined by Kenneth Genalo, NY Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Office Director, and Philip Rhoney, ICE ERO Buffalo Acting Field Office Director, as they spoke about ‘Operation Rotten Apple,’ their recent operation in NY that saw 2,100 arrests. (Credit: Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Buffalo has emerged as a center of intensified immigration enforcement in upstate New York, with ICE arrests on pace to rise nearly 69% from last year and most of those arrested having no criminal record, according to an Investigative Post analysis of federal data.

ICE has made 515 arrests in Buffalo this year through Aug. 5, compared with nearly 350 in Rochester and almost 200 in Syracuse. Across 48 upstate counties, more than 2,900 immigrants have been arrested this year, with more than half of the arrests occurring between May and early August.