This past Monday, the Dutchess County Legislature voted 20-0 to oppose the proposed federal immigration detention facility in Chester, Orange County. That’s right: unanimous, bipartisan, and unambiguous.
This is exactly the kind of bold, values-driven action I ran to be part of, and as Assistant Majority Leader, I’m proud that our new Democratic majority is making it happen. While Washington wages war on immigrants, their families, and the rule of law, we stood up and said: not here, not like this.
This facility would have foreseeable regional impacts on Dutchess County, straining our hospitals, emergency services, housing, mental health providers, and social service systems, all without a shred of transparency or coordination from federal authorities. The NYS DEC flagged unresolved environmental concerns, including floodplains, wetlands, and the Hudson River watershed. We weren’t given answers. We weren’t even asked.
But this isn’t just about logistics and infrastructure. Let’s be clear about what we actually voted against: illegal incarceration without due process. People are held indefinitely, with no legal protection, no oversight, and no accountability, and people, including children, are dying from lack of medical care. That is what this facility represents.
Dutchess County is the site of New York’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution, which we are sworn to uphold due process, accountability, and the rule of law. We don’t take that lightly.
The Democratic majority in this Legislature takes that oath seriously, and we are going to keep proving it.
This is what it looks like when local government fights back. Elections have consequences, and one of those consequences is a Democratic majority that will stand up for our immigrant neighbors, our constitutional values, and our community’s future.
We will keep showing up, keep passing resolutions, keep putting our values on the record, and keep pushing to make sure our neighbors can live, work, and raise their families without fear.
Stay engaged, stay loud, and thank you for making this majority possible.
