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Mayor, council raise alarm after ICE operation in Middletown; pledge support to Newburgh
Summary
Middletown leaders said an early‑morning Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation rattled residents and called for better coordination between ICE and local police; several aldermen pledged support to Newburgh and urged protections for the city’s Latino residents.
Middletown’s mayor told the council that Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted an early‑morning operation on Cottage Street that was captured in a circulating video and that the police department was not notified in advance. "ICE paid a visit into our city this morning very early," the mayor said, adding that the video shows "fear in his face" as a young man ran from the scene.
The mayor said he signed a letter supporting Newburgh’s opposition to a proposed detention facility and urged the council to be vocal on behalf of the city’s large Latino population. Alderman Ray said the tactics shown in the video have made residents fearful; "Iam sorry to me this, and I'm gonna say it, qualifies as domestic terrorism because people are living in terror," she said. Several council members, including Wilma Johnson and Alderman Gomez, expressed full support for any steps the mayor pursues to protect residents.
Council members and staff framed the remarks as a call for improved communication: the mayor urged that when federal officers serve any warrant in Middletown, "ICE would contact the Middletown Police Department so that if people call, they can at least reassure them that this is a police activity." The council did not take immediate formal action on the matter at the meeting but several members said they would work with Newburgh and other municipalities to coordinate a response and consider resolutions of support.
