VIDEO: Beacon High School Students Walk Out For National "ICE Out" Strike - The. Kids. Are. Not. Having It.

VIDEO: The video of this march on January 30, 2026 National ICE Out Strike by over 100 Beacon High School Students is at the bottom of this article.

Friday, January 30th, 2026 was a national day of action known as “ICE Out,” where many people in the United States demonstrated actions demanding that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) be dismantled and abolished. Student groups at the University of Minnesota including the Somali Student Association and Black Student Union, as well as national groups including Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Black Lives Matter, LA Tenants Union, Palestinian Youth Movement and the ANSWER Coalition, called for a “national shutdown,” which looked like “No Work. No School. No Shopping. Stop Funding ICE.”

In Beacon, NY, Beacon High School (BHS) student discussion of participation in the “ICE Out” allegedly started earlier in the week on Monday with the Beacon High School club Students For Civic Engagement (SCE) organizing. By Thursday day, however, student commitments hadn’t stuck yet.

Some Beacon business owners were only casually thinking about it, when one asked A Little Beacon Blog: “What are your thoughts on the National Strike?” to which ALBB answered: “I feel exhausted. To be quite honest. This is in the hands of the very rich CEOs. This feels like Palestine 2.0. I support anyone who is striking, and I understand for anyone who is not closing but supports humanity and the resistance movement. I don’t know what else to say.”

The Momentum Built For The “ICE Out” Movement in Beacon

The Instagram post published by Students for Civic Engagement (SCE) when they decided to commit to walking out on January 30th, 2026.

Hours later, as the sun set on another day of school and business, Beacon businesses and some in Cold Spring began posting that they were shutting down for January 30th. Witch Hazel declared that they were accepting cash-only to avoid contributing to big banks, and would open their space to anyone who wanted to creatively express. New hair salon Chisel across the street declared they were shutting down (after missing work during the snow storm) and had rescheduled their appointments, to which their clientele agreed.

After investigating where the City of Beacon was putting all of their plowed snow, ALBB took to Instagram to make a quick video to report in that some businesses in Beacon were indeed shutting down to participate in the “ICE Out,” and to stay tuned for a report on where all of the plowed snow is going.

This simple video triggered a hailstorm of responses from Beacon MAGAs, and generated over 22,500 views. More and more businesses starting publishing their closure statuses.

Youth activity picked up in the social media threads of BHS students, where they started deciding if they were going to walk out or not. A social media post was made. Students For Civic Engagement (SCE) published to Instagram that they were walking out. Their only instructions: “WALKOUT TOMORROW!!!! Bring a coat”

It was official. The Beacon High School students were protesting.

The Planning

ALBB received requests from BHS students asking if an announcement could be made about their walkout. ALBB responded that we would seek confirmation first of any security details with Dr. Dwyer before posting anything, and emailed him that evening. Slogans for posters began being made, and chants written.

One parent told ALBB that they told their striking student that they would walk to pick them up instead of drive in order to avoid traffic or unexpected situations. The student responded: “Don’t worry about it. We’re walking to Main Street.” The parent asked: “Where are you going on Main Street?” to which the student replied: “We’re still figuring it out.”

And that was that.

The “Strike Eve” The Night Before

Doubters and supporters of human rights violations were filling online spaces in between, saying they would never shop from the striking businesses again.

Despite negative comments, the students opting to protest stayed strong and grew in numbers. “Some people told us that no one was going to come to our protest,” one student told ALBB. “That this protest wasn’t going to mean anything. Wouldn’t make a difference.”

One parent contacted ALBB, worried about consequences of the walkout action during school hours and debated if they should call the administration to give their child their consent in an excused absence. ALBB reached out to a civil rights expert to get guidance, who said: “The students can exercise their First Amendment right. You don’t need to call the school or say anything for several reasons: first, it may undermine your student’s action; and second, it may contribute to an argument that you made your student do it.”

The Morning Of The “ICE Out” Strike

Hits to the student walkout announcement article reached 4,000, an extremely high number for ALBB reader traffic to one page, indicating the high impact the BHS student was having in the community.

Still more businesses and restaurants were shutting off their burners and going dark for the day. Beacon MAGAs were losing places to eat by the hour.

At 6:30am Friday morning, Dr. Dwyer sent his email to parents, explaining how the school would ensure the safety of the students who were walking out. ALBB turned around to amplify it before the school day started. That article launched another hailstorm of comments (over 690 comments at FB) from parents praising the kids, as well as naysayers. Hits to the article spiked to 4,000 over the course of the day.

This spike was the impact the Beacon High School students were having. This was why they were experiencing such pushback from some in the community. Because their walkout was working.

The Kids Are Not Having It

These Beacon kids are the kids who were shut in during COVID. In their COVID shutdowns, they got comfortable with technology real fast. They maintained connections to each other on social media platforms their parents hadn’t even heard of. Using tricks to track each other to maintain safety and arrival to mutual places of meetings, hang-outs and sporting events.

South Avenue elementary school students marching in the 2017 Spirit of Beacon Day Parade, serving as little reporters asking questions about Beacon’s history. ALBB’s Katie Hellmuth helped co-produce South Avenue’s parade that year, with the theme of roving reporters.

These are these are the kids whose parents marched in Black Lives Matter 2020, and slogged through Sanctuary City status debate meetings at City Council. They built elementary school floats for the Spirit of Beacon day parade, some of which were live-action scenes as live reporters.

These kids fight with each other, and fight for each other. They learned safe space language over the years from different mental heath programs and teachers and staff in the Beacon City School District, and are reminded to try to pull in a friend who is behaving wildly.

The March

“I want to thank everyone for being out here today. I know it’s really cold, and this is really last minute. But this is really important. You all are demonstrating your First Amendment right, and that is very important. Before we begin with anything, I want to take a moment of silence for the lives that have been lost at the hands of the ICE institution and its agents.”

— Melby Scher, co-president of Students for Civic Engagement (SCE), a BHS Club

By 11:45am Friday, BHS Security had assembled at the end of the school driveways as they do when school gets out on a regular day to help the flow of traffic at pickup.

At 12pm, students who opted to walk out did so. Some went to their cars to drive home, shouted “FUCK ICE!” and spun their wheels to burn the rubber of their tires as they waited in the driveway line to exit the school.

A larger number of kids gathered and stayed at the main entrance of the Beacon High School kiosk, while some parents waited to pick them up at the Athletic Department. The kids huddled around the flag pole as different administrators in school leadership came out to check on things.

One of the co-presidents of the Students for Civic Engagement (SCE) club, Melby Scher, gave a speech to fellow students gathered round before they left. She dedicated a moment of silence for those people killed by ICE so far, and who are known about, several of whom have died inside of ICE detention centers shortly after being kidnapped and deposited there. Those names include Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, Víctor Manuel Díaz, Parady La, Renee Nicole Good, Luis Beltrán Yáñez–Cruz, Heber Sánchez Domínguez, and Alex Pretti.

Melby said: “I want to thank everyone for being out here today. I know it’s really cold, and this is really last minute. But this is really important. You all are demonstrating your First Amendment right, and that is very important. Before we begin with anything, I want to take a moment of silence for the lives that have been lost at the hands of the ICE institution and its agents.”

“I want to remind everyone that we are all part of a broader movement right now. The movement of peace, empathy and love for our neighbors against a country that is currently filled with so much hatred. It is so important that you are here today, and I am proud of every single one of you, for being out here in the cold.”

— Melby Scher, co-president of Students for Civic Engagement (SCE), a BHS Club

“Lastly, I want to remind everyone that we are all part of a broader movement right now. The movement of peace, empathy and love for our neighbors against a country that is currently filled with so much hatred. It is so important that you are here today, and I am proud of every single one of you, for being out here in the cold.”

A loud cheer came from the students, and they embarked down the side path of the school, headed down Mattaewan. Parents who were there in cars to pick them up rerouted themselves to follow alongside the student marchers.

When the students reached Verplanck Avenue, they safely crossed onto North Cedar Street and continued down the sidewalk of the one-way street, which is the usual route home for several students. One of the leaders of the Students for Civic Engagement (SCE) club shouted directions to the students, saying “Road Safety!” and guided everyone onto the sidewalk. The students chanted all the way to Main Street, where they landed between Kumon Learning Center and Subway, then proceeded down Main Street all the way to Pohill Park.

During the march, the students defied naysayer comments who had declared: “They are going to go to the mall!” and “This is just another day off for teachers!” The student’s powerful chants carried throughout the City. Their young voices angry as they demanded “ICE OUT!” Cars supporting them with honks flocked around them throughout their descent down Main Street, past stores like Key Food, CareFull MD Urgent Care, Xin Xing, Butterhead Salad, House of Maxx, Witch Hazel, Lily & Marigold, and others. A few silent drivers gave them thumbs down, or stared blankly ahead. One man in a black van shouted his support, saying that he had no horn but wanted to honk.

When Geese Fly

During the beginning of the march, as the students descended down the front lawn of the Beacon High School, a flock of geese launched up out of the back grounds. The geese are on the school grounds every day. The symbolism was not lost with the sudden whoosh of wings as the geese took flight and formed into a pattern with the kids below. It was like nature was with them, guiding them.

As reflection from the day settled, a second symbolism took shape in the memory of the geese flying: the kids took flight, leaving the nest on their own. This was a hands-off protest. The kids were in charge. The parents were watching if they wanted. Honking if they wanted. The kids flew. They spoke. They landed back at the nest. Successfully. Ready for the next time they are needing to be heard. Because this isn’t over until ICE is abolished and brutality with impunity is held accountable.

For those who thought this national day of “ICE Out” action would have no impact…the Department of Justice released over 3 million pages of Epstein files.

Comments After This Article Published

Comments at ALBB’s Facebook after the students protested were mixed. Some people demanded their tax revenue back for the day, and scolded the school for allowing the kids to walk out. Others spoke strongly in support, including some whose students participated. One woman, Sharron Herring, CEO of Herring Sanitation, said: “Kids standing up for injustice. Love it. Stand tall. Remember years from now. You did something. They didn’t miss a lesson, they gave a lesson. Take the time to listen to these young people standing up against aggression and hate.”

Beacon High School Principal Responds To "Student-Organized Planned Walkout" Connected With National "ICE Out Strike"

UPDATE: The video of this march that took place on January 30th has been published here in this article.

A national “ICE Out” strike has been planned for Friday, January 30th, as a peaceful yet powerful protest against ICE violence, demanding the abolishment of the federal agency. As reported by The Guardian: “For the first action on Friday, organizers, led by several student groups at the University of Minnesota, are calling for a ‘national shutdown’, which means: ‘No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE.’ The ‘blackout’ day, which many online are referring to as a “general strike”, is an effort to “shut down the economy”, organizers say.”

At least 8 people have been killed by ICE, with many more injured in the streets of their neighborhoods, their homes, and their cars. More injuries and deprivations have occurred in detention centers, where documentation is difficult to obtain. Some brown skin people who have been taken and released are simply dumped on the side of the road, one legal professional told A Little Beacon Blog on conditions of anonymity.

Students of Beacon High School allegedly began organizing a walkout of school in order to support the nation-wide protest. The high school’s Principal Corey Dwyer responded with an email to district families before the start of the school day, saying:

“We have been made aware that some students plan to walk out of school today at Noon as part of a series of protests and walkouts expected to take place around the country.

“As a district, we support our students’ rights to freedom of speech and expression. We do not endorse or oppose, nor do we organize, student walkouts or protests.

“Our top priority is student safety. Students who participate are expected to do so in a calm and orderly manner and without disrupting the educational environment for their classmates. Staff will monitor student movement in the building to help ensure safety. Students leaving campus are no longer under school supervision, and the district cannot monitor off-campus activities.

“Normal attendance rules apply. Students who are not in class will be marked absent; any absence not excused by a parent or guardian in accordance with our attendance policy will be unexcused.

“While peaceful participation in a student-organized walkout will not be subject to disciplinary action, any behavior that violates school rules, endangers safety, or disrupts instruction will result in consequences in accordance with the district's student code of conduct.

“We appreciate your understanding and support.”

National Awareness Piece: ICE's Killing Of The Nurse, Alex Pretti

This will most likely be the only piece A Little Beacon Blog does on lawless federal employment activity in Minnesota, as the execution of the ICU nurse Alex Pretti was widely document in video footage and emerging court documents. Several organizations have commented on it and more continue to. You most likely are seeing accurate coverage. However, if ALBB feels that you are not, we will cover it again. Publishing this is also for our Beacon MAGA readers, of which there are plenty. We want everyone to be on the same page when discussing federal, state and local issues.

Additionally, when we see in Comments (usually Facebook) that people are misunderstanding or willingly misconstruing what happened, we will issue an awareness post.

The First Post:

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Seasters Jones has published easy to read highlights from an affidavit filed to restrict ICE’s use of force in Minnesota. These highlights include a witness description of the shooting of Alex Pretti, the ICU nurse who was shot and died trying to help his neighbors after they got pepper sprayed, as well as a witness account from a medic who offered several times to assess Alex. When he was allowed access, the medic saw that the ICE agents had turned Alex on his side to count bullet holes. The medic said that turning a shooting victim on their side is not standard practice of care.

CBS News reports that a Judge has granted a restraining order against DHS in Minneapolis: "U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud granted a temporary restraining order against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Saturday, barring the department from altering or destroying evidence connected to Pretti's killing."

Also: "The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said DHS representatives blocked them from accessing the scene of the shooting, even though the bureau had obtained a judge's signed search warrant."

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.229758/gov.uscourts.mnd.229758.109.0.pdf

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/live-updates/reported-shooting-south-minneapolis-federal-agents-protesters/

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According to video footage and witness accounts at the scene, the nurse Alex Pretti was pepper sprayed by an ICE employee after Alex Pretti tried helping his neighbor after they were pepper sprayed. Then an ICE employee removed Alex’s legally acquired and carried handgun (as confirmed by local law enforcement), and as he lay on the ground, another ICE employee shot him. Several ICE employees then ran away from the scene to distance themselves. Then ICE employees were found examining his body to see how many bullet holes they hit him with. Like you might an animal shot in the woods by a hunter. They told a neighbor who was a medical expert that they did not know if he had a pulse. As their hands were on his body.

The American Nurses Association issued a statement saying: “ANA condemns violence in our communities. The seriousness of this incident and others demand transparency and accountability. ANA calls for a full, unencumbered investigation, and urges that findings be shared promptly and clearly so Alex’s loved ones and the public have answers.

“One in four nurses already experience workplace violence. As incidents with federal law enforcement continue to rise across the country, we are deeply concerned for the safety of nurses, both on the job and in the communities they serve.

“Nurses are advocates for the safety and well-being of their communities. They enter this profession to heal, to protect human life, and to show up for people in their most vulnerable moments. ANA remains committed to preventing violence in the workplace and in our communities, and to advancing meaningful protections that safeguard healthcare workers and the public.“

The first photo is from @_strangegang and the second photo is from @innergizer , who said: “Let’s call this what it is: a hostage-style demand from the Trump administration. Attorney General Pam Bondi is tying ICE’s presence in Minnesota to handing over sensitive voter data — and a sitting U.S. Senator has confirmed it. ”
He continued:
“This isn’t enforcement.
This isn’t about public safety.
This is an attempt to coerce a state into giving up control of its elections before 2026 even happens.
Don’t let them gaslight you with talking points. Recognize the strategy:
Threat + leverage = power grab.”

After Years Of Abusive Online Bullying, ALBB Rises Up (Again) To Address Comments

Editorial Note: First published at Instagram and Facebook.

Grown adults who repeatedly harass and bully will be blocked from A Little Beacon Blog’s Facebook page. If we know who you are in Instagram, we will block you there too. If we discover your IP address, we will block you from our entire website.

The only ways you can get back on are:

• Complete a 30 hour class in Online Bullying. Have it signed by the person/people you bullied.

• Write a 3-page paper on what you learned, and how you hurt someone. Chat GPT not accepted. We can tell if you used AI. Grammatical errors are accepted, and we will not make fun of you for it. Everyone makes mistakes in typing, pronunciation, spelling, and grammar.

• You could sneak onto our free newsletter that we might rebrand as being called “Unblocked,” but one Reply to that email inbox with unnecessary commentary, and you’ll be Unsubscribed.

To the adult children of these Grown Grandparent Bullies: please pull your parents home. They are embarrassing themselves, and any legacy(ies) they have named after them in town.

Alright? Alright.

Now get back to work. Tax season is here and 1099s need preparing for business owners and contractors. Books need reconciling before they get sent to the accountant.

Some of the worst offenders may be Retired. We suggest that these Retired Bullies do a crossword puzzle or something. Play Solitaire maybe? No, being with friends is best. Go out for coffee. A snow mobile ride. Climb the mountain. Take dancing lessons. Anything.

To those Grown Adults who are not retired: your job needs you. Go back to work. Stop ruining your online reputation.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

The Backstory To This Comment Policy Reaction

ALBB has been subject to online bullying for years. So much so, that it frustrates her when parents insist on offering online bullying classes for youth, because it's usually parents of all classes and ages who do it. The bullying usually happens after an article is published that someone or a group does not like, and then they all pile on.

After the ICE videos, the criticism of ICE from local police chiefs, and call for Hilton to allow franchises to deny ICE employees as customers, the MAGAs of Beacon were outraged. This was no surprise to Katie, as she knows from the years covering BLM and Trump 1.0, any time racism or white supremacy is mentioned or alluded to, some white people in Beacon lose their minds.

So after posting the videos she felt needed to be witnessed after Renee Nicole Good’s killing, she exited the comments, and let the MAGAs of Beacon swarm around her like crows, picking at her flesh until they were done. Only they didn't rest and intensified. One Grandma (ALBB has many Grandma readers - some who protest against injustice, and others who sling the worst curse words insisting on justice for ICE) asked "Can an ALBB Admin please come moderate?" She was taking on the Beacon MAGAs on her own.

So ALBB woke up, took stock of the situation, responded that readers of ALBB have consistently requested that these heinous comments remain in order to help them see who their neighbors are.

After ALBB posted this new Comment Policy on the red oven-mitt, Beacon MAGAs were outraged at the prospect of being blocked for their bullying, and insisted it was "illegal" to block them. Guess they should talk to Facebook about the legality of offering the Block button in the first place?

ALBB wrote new ground rules and observations, which you can read above. A beautiful thing happened after that. New self-appointed bouncers appeared in comments while DMs trickled in from people lending their support. New Testimonials of appreciation were written, and ALBB gained another level of understanding of the wide-ranging readership.

Police Response In Minnesota, Maine and Phili Is Critical Of ICE Attacks And Racial Targeting

This article contains videos ALBB shared with readers as ICE escalated across the country, including Minnesota, Maine and Philadelphia. Beacon MAGAs were quick to call these police chiefs and sheriffs “clowns” on ALBB’s Facebook page, and went so far - but not surprisingly - as slinging racial insults at Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, who is a Black woman.

When ALBB posted this speech from Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, several Beacon MAGA's threw racial insults at her, attempting to drag her down in her position and accomplishment.

However, several ALBB readers gave praise and appreciation for her speech:
Said wearable art designer Selma Karaca: "Thankfully law enforcement is talking the talk!"
Chef Jodi Cummings said: "Omg I love this woman!!!🔥🔥 FINALLY!!"
Kim Ann Hamilton said: "She’s a boss!👏"
@brownskingirl129 said: “👏👏👏👏👏👏👏”

This video clip is from @quadzillahikes . It features Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley speak on behalf of himself and several other police chiefs across the Twin Cities to share their concerns and experiences over racial profiling by federal ICE agents of their off duty officers, all people of color. Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt also said she saw “multiple recent incidents of ICE agents using racial profiling to stop U.S. citizens,” as reported by local station Kare11.

The news station reported that Chief Bruley sad “local law enforcement agencies are receiving endless complaints from U.S. citizens that ICE agents are using racial profiling tactics to single out people of color and demand proof of legality. Bruley said off-duty police officers have also been subjected to this treatment.“

Chief Bruley said in part: “What we’re hearing is they’re being stopped in traffic stops or on the street with no cause and being forced to demand paperwork if they’re here legally. We started hearing from our police officers the same complaints as they fell victim to this while off duty. Every person who has had this happen to them is a person of color.”

Chief Bruley went on to describe a targeting of one of his female officers of color, which he describes in this speech.

Kare11 reported: “Bruley said it has been extremely difficult for him to communicate with ICE leadership about concerns. He said ICE leadership has told him to file complaints online with the names of the involved federal officers, but since ICE agents cover their faces and do not have name tags, it is impossible to know who is responsible.“

This speech was published by @quadzillahikes Jack Jones, who said in his caption: “St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henrv, ioined by local law enforcement leaders, spoke on the surge of federal agents in the Twin Cities and called for “common ground.”

“This comes as the Trump administration is preparing as many as 1,500 troops [active duty soldiers] for mobilization to Minnesota as protests continue amid immigration enforcement operations in the state.”

According to an article in CBS News: “The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers based in Alaska who specialize in operating in arctic conditions to be ready in case of a possible deployment to Minnesota, two defense officials said Sunday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans, said two infantry battalions of the Army’s 11th Airborne Division have been given prepare-to-deploy orders.

“One defense official said the troops are standing by to deploy to Minnesota should President Donald Trump invoke the Insurrection Act. The rarely used 19th-century law would allow the president to send military troops into Minnesota, where protesters have been confronting federal immigration agents for weeks. He has since backed off the threat, at least for now.“

Local Maine station ABC WMTW8 reported from the Sheriff’s press conference, from Portland, ME: “ The sheriff of Cumberland County held a news conference Thursday afternoon to address the detainment of a corrections recruit by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and criticize the agency’s tactics.

“We’re being told one story, which is totally different than what’s occurring, or what occurred last night,” he said.

Joyce said the recruit was hired in February 2025 after undergoing a rigorous hiring process. The sheriff also said the recruit’s I-9 suggested that he was able to work in the United States until April 2029.

“In this particular case, this is an individual that had permission to be working in the state of Maine. We vetted him,” Joyce said. “Every indication we found is that this was a squeaky-clean individual that really hadn’t done anything at all.”

Joyce said the recruit was in the academy in the fall of 2025 when, in November, he left the academy and went to Texas for a hearing on his immigration status.

“He took the extra step of risking his job to fly to Texas to take care of hearings and for some reason, he was picked up last night,” the sheriff added.

“They left it right on the side of the street. Folks, that’s bush league policing,” Joyce said. “In my world, you wait for a wrecker. You wait for somebody to come pick it up that the individual wants, or you get permission to drive the vehicle into a public parking spot and you lock it up and you give the person their car keys. You don’t leave their personal belongings unsecure along the streets of the city of Portland. It’s not fair to the guy that owns the car. It’s surely not fair to Portland police.”

“This opened the door for me based on the fact, I mean, this is an individual that was trying to do all the right things,” he said. “I guess if you’re not the card-carrying U.S. citizen, then you must be illegal, because that’s what they told me is ‘he’s illegal,’ and he’s definitely not a criminal. So what part of him is illegal? I don’t know.”

ALBB Calls For Hilton Diamond Point Holders To Demand That Franchises Be Allowed To Reject ICE

This mini-article originally published at Instagram:

Editorial Note: The logo on the hat is neutral and not reflective of the message spoken in the video. This video has been viewed over 50,000 times. What a missed opportunity to not have worn the ALBB hat! It was lost, but now has been found.

Earlier this week, Here’s Why Kevin and Fox News reported that a Hilton franchise in Minneapolis rejected ICE agents as guests. In response, Hilton apologized to DHS and removed that franchise location from its system so that people could not reserve rooms there or use their Hilton points to redeem rooms.

Fox News reported: “Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who said he is a Hilton shareholder, praised Hilton’s handling of the quickly unfolding controversy.

“‘Apparently, Hilton Hotels is terminating the franchise effective immediately,’” Ackman wrote. “Credit to Nick Sorter for his investigative work.’”

Fox News reported that Nick Sorter, for a pursuit of an article, tried to book a block of rooms saying it was for immigration agents and was told the hotel had a ban on that.

Fox News reported that Ackerman said: “‘Hilton is one of the best-managed companies in the world. Its CEO, Chris Nassetta, is one of the most outstanding CEOs in the world. I know that he is highly respected by President Donald Trump and the current administration.’”

Therefore. This is a call for all reward point holders of any level - especially Diamond point holders - to call Hilton corporate to demand that that franchise be reactivated in the system, and to allow other franchise owners the freedoms to reject harassers and murderers from their reservation books.

Comments varied on this post, and included these two:

Said @mstasberk via Comment: "Excellent idea! I hope that folks who hold Hilton points make there feelings known to Hilton executives."

Said @marlajbrenner via Comment: "I wish I had points I could pull with. Good Luck!!!"

🇵🇸 Free Palestine. 📣

☀️💗 By the way, I’m wearing the Market hat today because I was feeling this shade of pink on this sunny day that is finally in the 40s and the ice is melting, which helps keep away drought we experience often lately. My views are my own, and not reflective of any logos my clothing. Thank you.

MONDAY: Public Anticipated To Turn Out To Push Against Federally Proposed ICE "Processing Site" in Orange County

TONIGHT: Monday 1/12/2026 City Council Meeting in Chester, NY. Orange County.

A Little Beacon Blog reported on this development for Orange County last week. Both the Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus @steve.neuhaus and Representative Pat Ryan @patryanforcongress were against it:

“ICE ‘Processing Site’ Proposed For Chester, NY ‘Disgusts’ Pat Ryan and ‘Disappoints’ Steve Neuhaus; ICE Likens It To ‘Like Amazon Prime, But With Human Beings’”

A City Council Meeting for Chester, NY is having a meeting tonight. While the topic of the warehouse conversion is not on the agenda, the Daily Voice reports, organizations have rallied people to attend in opposition of the project. “Rural & Migrant Ministry, Inc., a nonprofit based in Cornwall-On-Hudson, announced Sunday, Jan. 11, that it and several immigrant-serving organizations will attend the Chester Village Board meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12, to voice opposition to the proposal, in addition to holding a protest before the meeting begins.“

The local news source reports that the meeting has been moved to Chester Senior Center at 81 Laroe Rd. because of the anticipated high attendance. A protest will be held at 6:30pm before the meeting starts.

“According to the nonprofit, one potential site is a warehouse in the Chester Industrial Park owned by billionaire investor and former Trump adviser Carl Icahn,” Daily Voice reports.

Pat Ryan said of the project in a tweet on X: “‘Like Prime, but with human beings.’” That’s how ICE is describing its new facilities, including a proposed location in Chester (which hasn’t been coordinated with local leaders in any way, FYI). It’s disgusting, infuriating, & UNAMERICAN. Our community will not stand for it.”

News12 reported that Neuhaus said he “does not want the county to host a facility that might be holding good, innocent people.”

ICE "Processing Site" Proposed For Chester, NY "Disgusts" Pat Ryan and "Disappoints" Steve Neuhaus; ICE Likens It To “Like Amazon Prime, But With Human Beings”

The Washington Post published a story in the last week of December 2025 highlighting plans that ICE is targeting warehouses across the nation to house people it has rounded up, including families, before they are deported to other countries. According to the reporting which sources internal ICE documents, the federal government intends to convert warehouses into at least 7 large-scale detention centers and 16 smaller processing sites. One such center is located in Chester, NY, in a warehouse formerly occupied by a Pep Boys. A representative from Pep Boys has confirmed with A Little Beacon Blog that they do not own the property.

According to the article, ICE detained 68,000 people at the beginning of December 2025 alone, which their reporting says is the highest number on record. "Nearly half, or 48% of these people, have no criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, ICE data shows," the article said.

“The administration’s goal, he said, was to deport immigrants as efficiently as Amazon moves packages: ‘Like Prime, but with human beings.’”

— ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons

ICE Acting Director Todd. M. Lyons was quoted in the article as saying: “We need to get better at treating this like a business,” the Arizona Mirror first reported at a border security conference in April 2025. "The administration’s goal, he said, was to deport immigrants as efficiently as Amazon moves packages: “'Like Prime, but with human beings.'”

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said he was "disappointed" to learn of this business decision Westchster News12 reported, and said he was not consulted. The news outlet reported that Neuhaus said "the owner of a vacant warehouse formerly used by Pep Boys in the Chester Industrial Park told the county ICE officials have been inquiring about using the warehouse as a detention center for immigrants. Neuhaus said Friday in a Zoom interview that he is disappointed since the county has been hoping the warehouse would become a film studio."

The Orange County Executive also said he did not want to "deal with" clashes between protesters and the ICE facility that would likely arise. "The federal government is hunting people down," Neuhaus said to News12 reporter Ben Nandy. "They say they're mostly bad people, but if there are families with children, that's a problem. We owe it to ourselves to come up with a better solution than to round them up as cattle in a temporary center in a warehouse."

Representative Pat Ryan expressed outrage, saying in a tweet on X: “'Like Prime, but with human beings.'” That’s how ICE is describing its new facilities, including a proposed location in Chester (which hasn't been coordinated with local leaders in any way, FYI). It’s disgusting, infuriating, & UNAMERICAN. Our community will not stand for it."

News12 reported that Neuhaus also said he "does not want the county to host a facility that might be holding good, innocent people."

According to the Washington Post article, the Department of Homeland Security had awarded one $29.9 million contract to KPB Services LLC, for help with “due diligence services and concept design” for the new facilities. KPB Services LLC is a tribal subsidiary of The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, who fired their senior management of their economic development corporation responsible for seeking and securing the contract after backlash over the contract, according to Native News Online.

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and Prairie Band LLC issued a joint statement that said in part: “Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and Prairie Band LLC understand the concerns raised about a recently awarded Department of Homeland Security planning contract that involves feasibility studies and technical assessments,” the statement said. “As a sovereign Nation, our values guide the decisions we make, and we acknowledge that this contract does not align with those principles.”

The Washington Post reported from the contract solicitation that ICE intend to transform the warehouses "to include intake areas, housing units with showers and restrooms, a kitchen, dining areas, a medical unit, indoor and outdoor recreation areas, a law library, and administrative offices. "Some of the facilities will include special housing designed for families in custody," the article said.

In 2015 under President Obama, the Washington Post reported that "a government watchdog report found that deportation flights often leave the country with empty seats because of the logistical difficulty of bringing enough people eligible for deportation to an airplane at the same time."

The term "eligible for deportation" is a questionable term at this time, since it is not something one aspires to reach, and at times the people deported are taken while at mandatory court hearings during their legal immigration process. The term "eligible" has arguably lost credibility in this case.

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.