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Newburgh board endorses county opposition to proposed ICE detention facility; residents urge local action on warehouses and jobs
Summary
By a unanimous vote, the Town Board approved and transmitted a letter opposing any conversion of warehouses in Orange County into ICE detainee processing or detention facilities; public commenters urged the town to inventory vacant warehouses, consider zoning tools, and press for job-creating development.
The Town Board of the Town of Newburgh on Feb. 13 unanimously adopted a letter to federal officials opposing any plan to convert industrial warehouses in Orange County into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing or detention facilities.
Supervisor Gilbert J. Piaquadio read the letter, which endorses Orange County's resolution opposing the possible conversion of sites such as the former Pep Boys warehouse at 29 Elizabeth Drive in Chester. The letter said warehouses "typically are not planned for and lack the necessary infrastructure, including water, sewer and roads, that are necessary to accommodate a large transient population of detainees," and urged that detainees not be housed in facilities not designed to International Building Code standards for transient occupancies. The board voted to approve sending the letter to Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons.
Residents who spoke during the public comment period largely supported the letter and urged additional local steps. John McLaughlin, a longtime resident and veteran, thanked the board for the letter and said he would continue community organizing opposing ICE actions. Caitlin Quinones, who identified herself as a Town of Newburgh resident and a past Gardnertown resident, said she appreciated the board's stance and urged continued action to "help the community" and protect immigrant residents.
Several commenters moved the discussion beyond the letter and asked what the town is doing to prevent warehouse conversions or to plan proactively. Jennifer Knox asked how many vacant warehouses exist in the town and whether zoning amendments or other tools could make conversion more difficult; Vanessa Tirado urged the town to "put a spotlight" on vacant warehouses and storage facilities so they are not easily repurposed for detention use and emphasized the need for job creation and waterfront-promoting initiatives. Josh Huckabee reminded the board that the town is still spending public funds defending lawsuits tied to past immigration-related cases and urged consistency between those actions and the board's opposition to ICE detention facilities.
The board's decision was procedural (a letter of opposition) rather than a regulatory action; the meeting record does not show any binding municipal change to zoning or land-use law. The board directed that the letter be transmitted; residents asked for further coordination with neighboring municipalities, the county, and the school district on preparedness and community supports.
The board adjourned at 8:11 p.m. The Supervisor's Office will transmit the adopted letter to the named federal recipients and the Clerk will file and post the letter as part of the public record.
