As of January 16, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security approves plans from ICE to open an immigration detention center in Chester, New York. The town is about 50 miles north of New York City, and just over an hour drive. This new facility will serve as a processing center for detained immigrants.’
Formerly a Pep-Boys warehouse, the detention center will contain holding cells, a kitchen, an infirmary, and a recreational center outdoors for those being processed at the facility. Those detained by ICE in areas proximate to Chester will be processed and held at the facility before being sent to larger facilities across the United States. The plan stems from the Trump administration’s plans to increase numbers of arrests and immigrants detained made at the beginning of his presidency.
Protests and community meetings have begun in both Chester and the surrounding Orange County following these details being released to the public. The town supervisor of Chester is working towards preventing the opening of the facility, but DHS moves forward with approval processes. Facilities and detention centers have been opened in the past year in Newark, and connections with county jails have been made as well to increase detainee numbers. The opening of another ICE-mandated detention center will continue this trend.
Government officials out of New York City are becoming concerned that the opening of another detention center will put more immigrants residing in the city at risk for arrest and being detained. As ICE has made it public they are making efforts to make more arrests in the city, a nearby, available bed-space facility will allow them to increase numbers and detain more individuals.
There is currently no exact timeframe or date for the opening of the detention center. The public period for commentary is scheduled to end today, January 16, 2026.
