Orange County Legislature Votes 21-0 to Oppose ICE Detention Center in Chester

The Orange County Legislature voted unanimously, 21-0, to adopt a resolution opposing the creation of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Chester or anywhere in Orange County. The resolution, introduced by Legislator Genesis Ramos, passed at a standing-room-only session in Goshen where more than 250 Hudson Valley residents packed the county chambers and commented for nearly two and a half hours.

Genesis Ramos framed the vote as a clear message to Washington. “It’s important that we send a strong and loud message to the federal government that we do not want an inhumane ICE facility in our backyard,” Ramos said. Chairwoman Laurie Tautel emphasized the volume of local response, noting the county clerk had received “over 400 emails” about the item and calling that “unprecedented.” Tautel added, “They want nothing to do with an ICE facility in Orange County and in Chester,” and argued the county must prioritize policies that “build trust, protect families, and support the well-being of our communities.”

Public testimony illustrated the community stakes. NAACP Middletown President Cindy-Lee Dorcely told legislators she has been carrying her passport out of fear of ICE in her neighborhood. Middletown resident Hope McKillian described national enforcement actions she and others find chilling: “They zip tied U.S. citizens and U.S. children on the street in pajamas by unmasked men… when did that become acceptable to zip tie children?” Dozens of speakers addressed infrastructure worries, economic impacts, and humanitarian concerns for immigrant families; only one public speaker did not oppose the proposal entirely. Richard Vargas, a retired deputy sheriff and veteran, said he opposed siting the facility in Chester but suggested federal land at the United States Military Academy at West Point as an alternative, remarks that drew heckling from the crowd.

Local officials stressed procedural limits. Ramos noted the county’s contract authority with the federal government rests with County Executive Steve Neuhaus, not the Legislature, and multiple reports indicated “no permits for the project have been filed.” The proposed site cited in reporting is a vacant warehouse in Chester, variously described as a former Pep Boys warehouse and a unit in the Chester Industrial Park, with assertions that any plan would involve purchase, rehabilitation, and expansion.

The local action comes amid broader opposition from regional leaders. Congressman Pat Ryan said he is mobilizing the Hudson Valley to stop the plan, linking the Chester proposal to a reported nationwide ICE strategy to house thousands of migrants in warehouses and drawing attention to recent federal enforcement controversies. Ryan’s office launched a regional petition and urged public engagement.

For Orange County residents, the vote is a formal, unanimous expression of local policy and sentiment but not a legal bar to federal action. County leaders and advocates now expect federal or property-level decisions to determine next steps, and officials including County Executive Neuhaus and federal agencies have been identified as parties whose responses will shape outcomes. The Legislature’s resolution consolidates local opposition and sets the political terrain; the community can expect follow-up from elected officials and activists as the matter moves through federal channels.