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Federal officials explored the possibility of using a Coast Guard facility on Staten Island. The effort appears to be part of a plan to expand President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Nov. 14, 2025Updated 6:31 p.m. ET
The Trump administration has explored whether to use a Coast Guard facility on Staten Island to hold detained immigrants, a move that could expand the federal government’s detention capacity in New York as it seeks to escalate immigration roundups in the city.
Last week, officials from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency visited the Coast Guard base on Fort Wadsworth, a former military installation overlooking New York Bay, to assess the site, according to a person familiar with the visit, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.
Two other people familiar with the discussions confirmed that ICE has considered the Staten Island facility.
It is unclear if ICE has determined whether the site is a suitable place to hold detainees or if the agency will proceed with the idea. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, the parent agency of ICE, declined to comment.
But the search for more bed space in New York comes amid speculation that President Trump will widen his immigration crackdown in the city following the election of Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat and democratic socialist, as mayor.
The idea of using the Coast Guard site to hold migrants for short periods quickly provoked a response from Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican from Staten Island, who said the base is ill-suited to hold detainees.
