By Lisa Pillivant
CHESTER- Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus announced he is moving to block a proposed ICE detention facility planned for a former Pep Boys warehouse in the Chester Industrial Park, saying the county will pursue legal action to stop the project.
In a daily online update, Neuhaus, a Republican, said Orange County was preparing to file litigation immediately but declined to provide details, citing legal strategy. “We are filing legal action within the next hour,” he said. “I’m not going to get into the details because the more you get into it, the more you weaken your case.”
Neuhaus raised concerns about infrastructure and compliance, stating that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not have sufficient sewer capacity for the site and does not meet local requirements. He said he is approaching the issue in a measured way, describing himself as “even keeled” and focused on what he views as the most reasonable course of action.
The county executive also expressed concerns about law enforcement responsibilities, noting that New York is a “blue state” and that state police would not assist ICE operations, which he said would shift responsibility to local police departments.
“I want this to be successful. I want us to win,” Neuhaus said, referring to the effort to block the facility.
Numerous protests took place in Chester as residents and elected officials continued to press their opposition to the proposed ICE detention facility. Community members repeatedly gathered to demand that the plan be blocked, with participation from public officials including Congressman Pat Ryan. For his part, Neuhaus characterized protests as ineffective, but said he respects residents’ right to demonstrate against the proposal.
Neuhaus’ opposition aligns him with several other elected officials who have spoken out against the facility, including Congressman Pat Ryan, State Governor Kathy Hochul, and Chester Town Supervisor Brandon Holdridge. Neuhaus is the first elected official to announce legal action aimed at preventing the facility’s opening, though he held short of outlining a specific legal strategy.
The latest local public official in the Hudson Valley to oppose the proposed ICE processing center in the Town of Chester was State Senator Michelle Hinchey (D, Saugerties) , who in a letter sent to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) on Friday, demanded the agency abandon its proposal to open an ICE facility in Chester, Orange County, adding her voice to growing bipartisan opposition in the region.
Hinchey’s call comes following the killing of American citizen Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
A bipartisan coalition of national, state and local leaders and residents say the plan should not move forward.
“The ‘warehousing’ language used by your agency to describe the detainment of human beings, and the subsequent mission proposal, is dehumanizing, abhorrent, and signals clearly the way your administration views American citizens and immigrants alike,” Hinchey wrote in a letter to ICE officials. “Threating human beings with the same ‘efficiency standards’ as Amazon packages, as described by your own leadership, is morally bankrupt and has no place in our communities.”
The full text of Senator Hinchey’s letter to ICE can be found below:
January 15, 2026
To the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency:
I am writing to express my vehement opposition to the proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center at the former Pep Boys warehouse in the Town of Chester. I proudly join with a bipartisan coalition of national, state, and local leaders, including Town Supervisor Brandon Holdridge, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, State Senator James Skoufis, US Representative Pat Ryan, and numerous local residents, who all agree that this proposal should not move forward.
The “warehousing” language used by your agency to describe the detainment of human beings, and the subsequent mission of this proposal, is dehumanizing, abhorrent, and signals clearly the way your administration views American citizens and immigrants alike. Treating human beings with the same “efficiency standards” as Amazon packages, as described by your own leadership, is morally bankrupt and has no place in our communities. Furthermore, this facility offers zero benefit to residents. It removes a prime industrial property from the tax rolls and will overwhelm local emergency services and first responders.
As the State Senator for two neighboring counties, a short distance from Chester, I view the proximity of this facility to my district as a direct threat to my constituents, as it drastically increases the likelihood that members of my own community will be targeted, harassed, and physically harmed by your enforcement operations. Your proposal is a threat to the safety, values, and economic stability of Chester and the broader Hudson Valley community.
Your agency’s effort to normalize horrific acts of violence, including the murder of Renee Nicole Good and dismiss due process, entirely undermines the rule of law and the principles that have sustained American democracy for 250 years.
I urge you to immediately abandon this proposal. We will continue to support the Town and Village boards as they utilize every legal, zoning, and environmental tool available to block this facility. We choose dignity and safety over your federal overreach and state-sponsored violence.
Sincerely, NYS Senator Michelle Hinchey
Mid Hudson News contributed to this report.
