Schumer, Ryan Demand DHS Investigation Into Proposed ICE Detention Facility in Orange County

Chester, NY— New York Sen. Charles Schumer and U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, both Democrats, are calling for a federal investigation into what they described as “chaos, secrecy and confusion” surrounding a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement mass detention facility in Orange County. Ryan represents the 18th Congressional District.

The lawmakers are asking the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to review ICE’s handling of a plan to potentially purchase a vacant warehouse at 29 Elizabeth Drive in the Village of Chester for use as an immigration detention center.

In a letter to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, Ryan and Schumer cited what they called contradictory public statements, a lack of transparency and the failure to brief local officials about the proposal.

“ICE has consistently sent out contradictory information, dismissed the concerns of local residents and elected officials, and repeatedly ignored our requests for information,” Ryan said in a statement. “We’re demanding answers on whether the facility is truly gone for good, and we’re demanding an investigation into how the administration came to this decision in the first place.”

Schumer said the agency’s handling of the proposal had eroded public trust.

“DHS’s management in the Hudson Valley has been an abject disaster, shrouded in chaos, secrecy and confusion,” Schumer said. “We are demanding concrete answers and an investigation into DHS’s actions in Orange County because this is unacceptable.”

The proposed site is a former Pep Boys warehouse in Chester. ICE initially told media outlets it had purchased the building and described it as a facility that could hold up to 1,500 detainees. Local property records, however, showed no completed sale, deed transfer or related filings.

ICE issued a statement retracting its earlier claim, saying the information had been sent without proper approval. The agency has not publicly clarified whether the project has been abandoned, paused or is still under consideration, Ryan and Schumer said.

Local leaders from both parties have opposed the plan and have said they were not substantively briefed by federal officials. Ryan launched a petition opposing the proposed facility that his office said has drawn more than 20,000 signatures.

In their letter, the lawmakers asked the inspector general to examine whether ICE attempted to purchase the property, whether federal procurement and acquisition rules were followed and why inaccurate or conflicting public statements were issued. They also called for a review of ICE’s communication with local officials and residents.

Image: The former Pep Boys Warehouse in Chester, NY. (Kimberly Izar)