How To Verify A Person Circling A Nighborhood Who May Be ICE (How-To Video)

Since ALBB posted the verification video of the ICE person on North Elm and Wilkes in Beacon last Saturday, “ICE Spotted Again In Beacon On Soccer Saturday - "Community Is Watching," Neighbor States (With Video)” people have asked a few questions:

• “How do I verify ICE?”

• “Can I film them?”

• “Can I go up to a car to ask them who they are?”

Yes you can. To all of these questions. Katie made this video for you, walking you through how to gently approach a vehicle or person who you think is stalking a neighborhood, house or street. Your goal would be to see if they identify themselves as being with ICE, and what kind of work they are doing here.

If you see a vehicle - or a person walking - who you think is ICE - you could nicely approach them to ask: “Hi…What’s going on here? Can you tell me what you’re doing?”

In Beacon, they have been spotted wearing:

• Tan vests on that say POLICE or a blue jacket that says FBI.

• All black (black shirt, black pants) and a black cap with sunglasses. May have something hanging in a covered holster from their waist.

• Their cars won’t always say ICE on them, but ALBB is currently pursuing a lead where such a vehicle was seen near North Walnut Street (if you have any tips, please send them in). Usually these vehicles have been unmarked with all tinted windows.

This video gives suggestions on how to get verification of an ICE person. Once you get that verification - with video if you can - think about who you will share that video with. A trusted journalist source, your local ICE watch group, the City of Beacon Police, or a trusted source of yours who will know what to do with it.

The Mayor of Beacon, Lee Kyriacou, reaffirmed the City’s commitment to being a safe and inclusive city, with this statement after the person taken on June 20th from a neighbor’s backyard was made public: “I want to make clear that at no time leading up to this incident did City staff, including our Police Department, have any notice of or involvement in ICE operations. As a City, we remain committed to our safe, inclusive community policy, to preserving rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and to avoiding any policies which engender fear among law-abiding families.” Click here for his full statement.

ICE Has Been Questioning Brown People In Beacon At Least 1.5 Months; At Least One Other Person Taken

According to neighbors in Beacon who are residents and employees in Beacon, ICE has been circling the backroads of Beacon and Main Street for at least 1.5 months, questioning people. At least one other person was taken in that time, ALBB was told by people familiar with the situation.

Men Seeming Like ICE In The BACKROADS Questioning Residents

A resident who is Brown in the Spanish community who lives in the backroads of Beacon told ALBB that a white men dressed in the tan vest with yellow POLICE patch on it, wearing a ball cap and large sunglasses, approached them at their home, asking if a woman with a Spanish name (they identified the name) lived in their home. The white man pursued questioning the Beacon resident, asking more than once if the woman lived there, and did the resident know where she was. The resident declined each time saying they did not know her. The white man with the POLICE vest, cap and sunglasses left.

When the resident stepped out of their home to continue on with their day of errands, a car of 4 white men in similar costume of cap, sunglasses, tan vest and yellow POLICE approached the Beacon resident again, asking them more questions. The resident grew a little impatient, as the questioning was making them late to an appointment, and asked if they were free to leave. Eventually the car of white men drove away.

This resident confirmed to ALBB that a man from the Spanish community in Beacon was taken from a different street before the man was taken from North Elm Street. No one can verify where the person was taken.

MAN Questioning Employees On Main Street

Employees who are Brown who were out on the sidewalk on Main Street in the past weeks told ALBB that they were separately spoken to by a white man they did not recognize. The first employee said that the man, who was dressed in non-identifiable clothing, spoke to them in Spanish. However, the employee did not speak Spanish and did not understand him. They asked him to repeat in English, which he did. He told the employee that he wanted to let them know that ICE was in the area, and to be careful. He went on with his thoughts.

The second Brown employee at a different establishment said that they were approached by the same white man, who asked where they were from, how long they were in the country, and how long they were working at the establishment.

Both employees told ALBB that they felt that the questioning was not comforting, and both have decided to refrain from answering questions or warnings about ICE from men they do not recognize who linger around the place of business.

Last Saturday, when ICE was identified as being on North Elm and Wilkes Street in this video, a person on Main Street down by the Dummy Light said they saw a white man in a vest with an FBI patch on it. While this may been a poser, or imposter who ordered an FBI jacket off the Internet and felt like walking around, he was seen, and did not look like a backpacker. The Beacon resident told ALBB: “I saw him wearing beige cargo pants and the dark blue jacket with the 3 FBI letters on the back. He walked down Main Street and turned onto East Main Street, walking extremely fast away, almost in a rushing manner.”

When ALBB asked if they were positive they saw the three letters on the back, the resident said: “FBI jacket for sure.”

While it may not always be possible to verify if a person wearing a FBI jacket or tan POLICE vest is ICE, one can always approach them nicely and ask them. As in this video where the ICE person identified themselves, ICE can identify themselves. Bonus points if they present a badge or some sort of identification. Since they are searching for people with names, they can also state their name when asked.

ICE Spotted Again In Beacon On Soccer Saturday - "Community Is Watching," Neighbor States (With Video)

Saturday morning in Beacon marked the last Soccer Saturday of the season as parents rose early to get ready for Championship Day. Dark vehicles with tinted windows suspected of being U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were parked in a line up North Elm and Wilkes Streets, with possible sightings at Orchard Place, the loop that is the base of East and West Willow Streets known as “The Willows.”

After the first Beacon resident was taken by ICE early Friday morning from their home on North Elm Street, residents in Beacon convened in an emergency meeting Friday night to share resources and connect phones to begin a Neighborhood Watch for ICE spottings in an attempt to distract and delay.

A Little Beacon Blog had just published the first article describing what was known so far about the previous ICE sting operation on North Elm, when a reader commented in ALBB’s Instagram that ICE was possibly at intersection of North Elm and Wilkes again for another hit.

Alex Berke, a local mom and employment lawyer who provides counsel on sexual harassment and discrimination cases, had been alerted via the Neighborhood Watch group, and biked over to seek verification by cautiously approaching one of the vehicles to inquire as to their purpose. “It doesn’t feel as hard for me to do this because I’m white and very comfortable speaking to authority figures,” Alex told ALBB.

When she approached the car, she gave a friendly greeting. “Hi…” she said. When she got no response, she tipped her bike helmet in head-nod to get his attention, and motioned for him to roll down his window.

“We all need to be sand in the gears right now. If you’re comfortable approaching, it’s time to do so. Those who have privilege can use it in these moments.”

— Alex Berke, local Beacon resident and attorney.

“Can I help you, ma’am?” the driver asked. Another Beacon resident rolled up as well to join Alex in the interview. The driver was a white male, bald, wore a dark short-sleeved shirt and had a thick beige vest on with a yellow POLICE patch on the front, similar to what has been the costume in other ICE abduction videos. His New York license plate read LDY-3445.

“Yeah,” she continued. “I’m just a Beacon local, and we are trying to understand where you are from and what’s going on.”

“Um, we have something going on in the area,” he answered. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, if you’re wondering that. We have police activity going on in the area, so I’m letting you know that we are here.”

The second Beacon resident asked for clarification on which police were in the area. She asked: “Are you saying that local police are involved?”

“No,” he answered immediately. “Local police are not involved. We work independently. Ok?”

Suddenly his phone rang and chatter picked up on his walkie-talkie. “Is that good?” he asked. “That answers your questions?”

“That answers our questions for now,” Alex answered. “The community is out and we’re going to be watching.”

He told her to stay safe as he rolled his window back up, and she wished him the same. “You got it, thank you,” he said as he began driving away toward Verplanck. Soon after, all the cars were gone.

“We all need to be sand in the gears right now,” Alex told ALBB. “If you’re comfortable approaching, it’s time to do so. Those who have privilege can use it in these moments.”

FAQ: “Is This New? Has ICE Been In The Area?”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spotted in Newburgh on Sunday, June 22, 2025 on Broadway standing outside of a Hispanic restaurant with possible intent of wanting to get to apartments above.
Photo Credit: Neighborhood Watch Groups in Newburgh

ICE has been targeting people throughout Dutchess and Orange Counties for months, but Friday’s abduction from North Elm Street was the first for Beacon. Video footage and photos of ICE standing outside bodegas and restaurants in the Hudson Valley have flown around group chats in the immigrant community, but verifying them for reporting has been difficult.

For example, this photo of ICE was in Newburgh on Sunday, June 22, 2025 on Broadway standing outside of a Hispanic restaurant. The photo was circulated to share location and also visual identification, as ICE can be wearing different outfits or driving different cars on different days. In this case, these men had possible intent of wanting to get to apartments above.

Beacon’s back-to-back sing operation marked the fist opportunity to cross-confirm developments for verifications and reporting. Prior to the driver identifying himself as ICE in the video above, a Beacon resident who had witnessed Friday’s raid confirmed that it was the same car and license plate returning on Saturday. The Neighborhood watch in Beacon was active again on Sunday, but no sightings that could be verified came in.

“I’m going to park my car in the driveway,” laughed one neighbor who has a similar car to one found in videos of ICE spotted parked on Main Street early Saturday morning. Some residents were ruffled about their parked cars being considered as ICE vehicles, but one resident who noticed activity around her vehicle said she appreciated the watch efforts and was horrified that ICE was in Beacon.

FAQ: “Why Now? Is This Because Of the No Kings Protest 2 Weeks Ago?”

No. In fact, it may have been because most in the Beacon community protest so hard that ICE has not been here, and instead started with low hanging, unprotected fruit in Newburgh, Cornwall and other areas. The Walmart in Fishkill, for instance, was targeted months ago, with flash checkpoints set up outside in the parking lot to question people as they walked in, according to one resident of Beacon whose mother was questioned for papers in such checkpoint.

The list that Dutchess County and Beacon were added to that Mayor Kyriacou and the National Sheriffs Association responded to on June 2nd maybe have been a warning shot to the beginning of raids or attempted raids in Beacon.

Patterns For Identifying ICE

Area experts have said that ICE tends to come in the mornings between 5-8am for the commute to work, and again from 5-8pm for the departure from work. But ICE can wait late at night as well, as shifts get out at different times. This has been known to happen in parts of Newburgh and other municipalities. On Sunday’s, ICE is known to camp out for the church service release at 12pm noon. ICE’s “work” knows no bounds.

There are different levels of involvement and engagement for identifying ICE. If one is to approach a vehicle to seek verification of an ICE agent, it is encouraged that the person inquiring is polite when seeking more information.

Should a raid be about to happen, it has been encouraged to bring a bucket in order to bang on it to make noise. New York is a one-party consent state, in that a conversation can be recorded if one party consents, and that person can be the person recording the conversation.

Details From The Friday, June 20th ICE Raid In Beacon & The Taking Of The Neighbor

Related Link: “ICE Spotted Again In Beacon On Soccer Saturday - "Community Is Watching," Neighbor States (With Video)”

According to multiple sources closely familiar with the taking of the neighbor on North Elm Street in Beacon, NY by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the early morning of Friday, June 20, 2025, the person was male, lived in a house he rented on North Elm, and worked in Beacon on Main Street.

According to neighbors in the area, dark vehicles with all tinted windows were parked along North Elm Street since at least 6am that morning. By 7:45am, said one neighbor, there were 3-4 unmarked cars blocking the street. “I drove right through it,” they told A Little Beacon Blog. “I did see a guy running, but was not sure if that was who they were after, or if he was helping trap who they were looking for.”

Another neighbor told ALBB: “ICE Agents arrested someone who tried running from a house. I saw them running through my yard. I went to my backyard and heard them tackle the guy. I took out my camera, but was so panicked, I got nothing,” they said.

This person did get a photo of an ICE operation car that had been parked in front of their house since 6:30am that morning. “It had dark tinted windows, which was part of the raid. I thought it was weird that they were parked out front of my house.”

The car parked in front of their house was a Nissan with New York license plate KZX-1439.

Beacon residents in the business community have confirmed that the taken neighbor did work on Main Street. Another neighbor said that the taken neighbor would walk to work.

How The City Of Beacon Responded

After learning about the raid from several residents, Mayor Lee Kyriacou issued a statement, where he said that the City of Beacon had no advance knowledge of the raid, but did get confirmation from the FBI that it was an ICE operation.

He said that the City of Beacon did not know who the individual was who was taken; if a judicial warrant was presented before taking him; or where he is now. “Our Police Department is actively seeking further information regarding the situation at this time,” he said. As of Sunday, the Beacon Police have not issued an update as to the taken neighbor’s location or status.

“As a City, we remain committed to our safe, inclusive community policy,” he continued, “to preserving rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and to avoiding any policies which engender fear among law-abiding families.

Read the Mayor’s full statement here.