Residents in the town of Newburgh on Tuesday night wanted to hear the Town Board provide clarity about a possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in their community.
At the beginning of Tuesday's town hall, three women were taken out of the building by police officers, as roughly half of the crowd applauded and the other half booed. Residents turned out because of recent news that ICE is planning to build a new facility in the town of Newburgh.
A federal government spending database shows in September, the General Services Administration awarded a $172,000 contract to Chicago-based Cotter Consulting for “repair or alteration of office buildings.” The funding agency is listed as the Department of Homeland Security and the funding sub-agency is listed as ICE. The description names Newburgh but does provide a specific address.
Over the summer, government data indicated ICE could be building a warehouse with secure access at 800 Corporative Drive in Newburgh for “detainee buses and vans.”
Chivita Espacial, one of the protestors escorted out of the building Tuesday, said she wants the town to do everything in its power to stop ICE from coming.
“We are doing that as part of our work in community because we love our neighbors," Espacial said. "We believe that people have ha right to be here. We are angry and persistent, and we will just not stop or be silenced.”
Pearl Johnson attended the meeting to tell the board to take action to stop ICE, especially after ICE agents this month reportedly shot a 28-year-old man driving his 5-year-old son.
“ICE shot a young man," Johnson said. "Fired seven bullets into the car with his five-year-old child sitting in the backseat crying. They don't follow the rules. They open a community up to tremendous liability, and it is something that we all together have to work against.”
Town Supervisor Gil Piaquadio said all community suggestions sent to the board have been shared with the board’s legal advisors. He said the town has not received any building applications or other information from the federal government.
“I just wish the governor would take a little more action," Piaquadio said. "Because she could do it for the whole state. We might solve the problem here and next tomorrow to be in Montgomery or Cornwall or something.”
