Board stands against area ICE detention center

The Monroe Village Board took a formal stance against the construction of an ICE detention facility in Chester.

During the Feb. 3 meeting, the trustees authorized village attorney Alyse Terhune to draft and distribute a resolution which opposes the facility and acknowledges its specific impacts on the Village of Monroe. Those impacts include increased demand for police to handle potential rallies and protests against the facility, as well as the strain on local sewage treatment. The resolution would be for the board review and for Mayor Neil Dwyer to sign.

The board also discussed how the facility and an increased ICE presence could affect the goodwill established between the village and its immigrant community.

“I don’t want to create this model here in Orange County that this is the order of day ... I don’t want any part of it. I don’t think it’s necessary. I don’t think we need to have it here,” said Dwyer.

At the same time, Dwyer agreed with his fellow trustees that law enforcement is needed to ensure criminals of any status are held accountable.

Monroe resident Carol Sotiropoulos, representing Hands Off Hudson Valley, pressed the board on whether they would consider resolutions in support of the proposed New York State Mandating End of Lawless Tactics (MELT) Act and New York for All Act. She said these acts would strengthen and emphasize protections already guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Dwyer said the matter could be on the agenda for the first meeting in March and would seek clarification from Sotiropoulos. He also wanted to better understand the position of the village’s state representatives.

Dwyer pointed to the contentious nature of immigration enforcement and the challenge of taking a stance during an election year, noting people who experienced crime committed by an undocumented citizen are going to feel strongly about the matter.

Sotiropoulos countered that the matter is not controversial and people are concerned about the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and whether that could happen in their community.

Trustee Andrew Ferraro called on Sotiropoulos to focus on local mistreatment of Monroe’s immigrant community by employers and landlords. He added that the board is disliked because of its efforts to enforce safety code and protect residents.