Press Releases

(Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill to require public transparency, community input, and approval from state and local leaders before constructing new ICE or CBP detention facilities in Rochester’s Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building.

Congressman Morelle’s remarks on his amendment are available below as delivered:

(Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle issued the following statement after his “NO” vote on Republican-led legislation that fully funds Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while failing to address the issues families face every day:

“Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans promised to lower costs for working families. Instead, they’ve passed a bill that cuts healthcare, threatens food assistance, and makes life harder for families—all to bankroll ICE’s mass deportation agenda and hand out more tax breaks to the wealthy.

(Rochester, N.Y.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle released the following statement after visiting the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, New York:

“Today, I sat across the table from Omar Ramos-Jimenez at the Batavia Processing Center. He kept saying again and again that he just wanted to go home. Omar’s home is not Mexico — it is Rochester. His family is here. His community is here.

(Rochester, N.Y.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle partnered with leaders from Rochester’s Jewish community to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month and recognize local individuals whose leadership, service, and commitment to others have made a lasting impact on the Rochester community.

(Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle continued the fight against the Trump administration’s decision to put immigration detention holding cells inside the Kenneth B. Keating Federal Building in downtown Rochester by introducing the Respect Our Communities (ROC) Act.

(Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle condemned ongoing violence against Banyamulenge and Tutsi communities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and expressed support for members of the Rochester community impacted by the crisis.

(Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle announced he led a group of more than 90 of his colleagues in demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) after the Trump Administration announced plans to roll back dozens of federal gun safety regulations.

(Rochester, N.Y.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle (D, NY-25), Founder and Co-Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Optics and Photonics Caucus, announced he introduced a resolution officially marking May 16 as National Day of Light in the United States.