The Fight

Ulster County has taken a clear sanctuary stance even as ICE aggressively expands detention infrastructure in the adjacent Hudson Valley. The county’s resistance operates at two levels: County Executive Pat Ryan issued an executive order prohibiting county employees from sharing immigration status information, and Sheriff Juan Figueroa — the first Latino president of the NY State Sheriff’s Association — stood with Governor Hochul in support of the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act” to formalize separation between local policing and federal immigration enforcement.

Key Details

• County Executive Pat Ryan: Issued executive order prohibiting county employees from sharing immigration status
• Sheriff Juan Figueroa: First Latino president of NY State Sheriff’s Association; publicly backed Hochul’s “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act”
• Adjacent threat: Orange County — directly to the south — is ground zero for NYC-area ICE expansion:
  • Chester warehouse: ICE attempted to convert Pep Boys distribution center into 1,500-bed facility (community opposition paused it)
  • New Windsor: ICE opened a secret office
  • Orange County Jail already holds ICE detainees (324 booked in 2024)
• Regional context: The Hudson Valley corridor from Orange through Ulster is the primary battleground for ICE infrastructure expansion north of NYC
• Statewide significance: Ulster is a model for how counties can resist even without state-level protection — though both Ryan and Figueroa support state legislation to codify protections

Why This Matters

Ulster County sits directly adjacent to the most aggressive ICE infrastructure expansion in the Northeast. The Chester warehouse fight (Orange County) demonstrated that community organizing can slow ICE’s Detention Reengineering Initiative, but the “at this time” language in ICE’s withdrawal and the unaddressed New Windsor/Woodbury sites mean the entire Hudson Valley remains at risk. Ulster’s sanctuary posture makes it a potential model — or target — as the fight continues.

Sources

• Governor Hochul announces “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act” with Sheriff Figueroa
• Radio Catskill coverage of Ulster County sanctuary measures
• See chester-orange-county-ny-warehouse for adjacent Orange County ICE expansion details