Eight protesters were arrested Saturday during an Evict ICE demonstration outside 250 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo, as organizers escalated a months-long campaign calling on the building’s owner not to renew a federal lease for Immigration and Customs Enforcement office space.
The Evict ICE campaign has been holding demonstrations outside the building every Tuesday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Brandon Buchanan, who works with the campaign, said Saturday’s larger action reflected growing frustration with Uniland Development and the Montante family, which owns the property.
"We know that they know who we are, and that we are out there, and that we're vocal about this, and that really all that we're asking is that they say that we won't renew the lease," he said.
The campaign is asking Uniland to commit to not renewing ICE’s lease when it expires March 31, 2027. Its longer-term goal extends beyond the downtown office: Buchanan said organizers ultimately support abolishing ICE nationwide.
"I do definitely believe that we nationwide need the abolition of ICE. It doesn't just stop with the eviction from 250 [Delaware], but that's where we have to start right now in this moment," he said.
Saturday’s demonstration began around 5:30 p.m., according to a timeline provided to BTPM by organizers. Protesters later occupied the intersection of Delaware Avenue and West Chippewa Street, where they remained as Buffalo Police officers arrived.
Buchanan was among seven demonstrators who stayed in the intersection after police instructed protesters to move to the sidewalk. An eighth person was also arrested. Buchanan said he knew beforehand that remaining in the street could ultimately lead to his arrest.
“For me, it was definitely an informed decision. I knew that if we decided to sit down in the street, that eventually, they were probably going to have to arrest us and take us out of there, but it’s really about raising awareness because we can’t just stay on the sidewalks,” he said.
Tom Griffin served as the demonstration’s police liaison, acting as an intermediary between officers and protesters in an effort to reduce direct confrontations. Griffin said his job included passing instructions and warnings from BPD to organizers.
Griffin said the warnings increased in urgency as the demonstration continued.
“I did that with varying levels of urgency from the lieutenant, probably about 10 or so times over the course of two hours,” Griffin said. “So a decent number of warnings were given, but most of them I acted as the intermediary for until the final escalation.”
Griffin said police eventually delivered final warnings directly to protesters, telling those remaining in the intersection that they could be arrested. He said he asked officers what violation protesters would face and was told disorderly conduct.
Buchanan said officers did not use what he considered excessive force during his arrest, although he said other protesters told him they had different experiences.
BTPM asked the Buffalo Police Department to confirm the charges against all eight protesters, explain the sequence of warnings and circumstances surrounding the arrests, and provide information about any reported use of force or injuries. The department had not responded as of publication.
While Saturday’s arrests drew attention to the campaign, Jennifer Connor, executive director of Justice for Migrant Families, said the people at the center of the issue are immigrant families affected by federal immigration enforcement.
Connor said her organization works directly with families after loved ones are detained and assists people navigating the detention system.
Shortly before speaking with BTPM, Connor said she had received another call from a family with two children whose father had been detained.
“This is what they're living every day and trying to live through every day, and it means a great deal to people to then see their neighbors putting themselves out there like this on their behalf to try to stop some of the harm that's happening,” Connor said of Saturday’s protesters.
She said detention can also leave remaining family members facing difficult decisions about whether they feel safe leaving home for work while still needing income for food, housing and legal expenses.
“I need to work so my kids can eat, I need to work so I can pay rent, pay a lawyer, and also if I go out, I don’t know if I’ll come back home,” Connor said, describing the concerns she hears from people her organization serves.
ICE records confirm the agency maintains a Buffalo legal field presence at 250 Delaware Avenue; federal records also document the building’s use for ICE-related operations.
Evict ICE has focused its campaign on Uniland because the company owns the property and has the ability, organizers argue, to decline another lease when the existing agreement ends.
Buchanan said protesters are not primarily demanding that Uniland immediately break the existing agreement.
“We know that you're going to uphold the lease until March 31st,” he said. “We're just asking for you to come out and say what they're doing is wrong, and they're not going to be welcome back in our city.”
In a statement to BTPM, Uniland said:
“We are legally and contractually obligated to honor all lease agreements and abide by their terms, just as we do with every client. As with all lease agreements, the lease renewal is governed by previously agreed upon contractual terms and conditions.”
The company did not say whether it intends to renew the lease when it expires.
Organizers say Saturday’s arrests will not end the campaign. Buchanan said Evict ICE plans to continue its weekly demonstrations outside 250 Delaware.
