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.