By Myrek Zastavnyi
Residents across southern Orange County gathered in recent days to voice concern over immigration enforcement policies, with demonstrations taking place both in downtown Warwick and in the Village of Chester.
In Warwick, residents and local groups have held ongoing Saturday morning rallies on Main Street near Lewis Park, with reported 140 to 150 people participating on Jan. 10, 2026. Organizers said the gathering was held in response to the recent death of a man in Minneapolis during an encounter involving federal authorities and was part of a continuing series of community demonstrations.
Participants carried signs, paused for moments of silence, and received supportive honks from passing motorists. A silent vigil was also planned at Railroad Green, with organizers describing the event as a space for reflection and solidarity rather than confrontation.
Just miles away, emotions ran higher Monday night in Chester, where hundreds of residents and supporters from across Orange County and neighboring Hudson Valley communities gathered in opposition to a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center.
If traffic congestion along Kings Highway and LaRoe Road was any indication, turnout exceeded expectations. Inside the Chester Senior Center, village officials met before a standing-room-only audience, while hundreds more braved the cold outside to make their opposition visible and heard.
“We’re not asking you to bring ICE, we’re asking you to reject it,” one protester shouted through a megaphone. “Our neighbors are afraid to leave their houses. Our neighbors are afraid to go into courthouses and be naturalized. That fear is not okay.”
The proposed facility would be located in a former Pep Boys warehouse on Elizabeth Drive. Organizers with Indivisible NY estimated that roughly 750 people attended the Chester protest, including residents from Sullivan, Rockland, and Westchester counties, and some from as far away as Long Island.
Village of Chester officials are scheduled to address the issue further at upcoming board meetings on Thursday, Jan. 14, and Jan. 28.
While the Warwick rallies and the Chester protest differed in size and immediate focus, both reflected a shared sense of unease among residents about immigration enforcement, public safety, and the role of local governments in federal policy decisions. Organizers in both communities emphasized peaceful participation and civic engagement, noting that attendance has grown as awareness spreads.
As winter continues, residents in Warwick, Chester, and neighboring towns appear poised to remain active, signaling that immigration-related issues are likely to remain at the forefront of local discourse in the weeks ahead.
