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.
A protest is scheduled in Chester for Saturday at which members of the community and elected officials, including Congressman Pat Ryan and Orange County Legislator Genesis Ramos will continue their calls to block the plan. 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 Democratic Congressman Pat Ryan, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, and Chester Town Supervisor Brandon Holdridge, also a Democrat. 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.
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