Tensions Flare After ICE Agents Train At Long Island Rifle Range

ISLIP, NY — Tensions are again flaring in Suffolk County regarding ICE activity and local government organizations after ICE agents were seen training at the Town of Islip's Rifle, Pistol and Archery Range on July 16, according to sources.

The controversial training at the range on Freeman Avenue comes in the wake of mass deportations of immigrants of various legal status across the United States per the Trump administration's orders.

Community members, including elected officials and other organizations, have spoken out regarding the training session, which, according to USAspending.gov, is part of a five-year contract allowing ICE agents to train at the facility.

According to the site, the contract began on July 1, 2021, and runs through June 30, 2026, and cites the Department of Homeland Security as the awarding agency and the Town of Islip as the recipient.

In addition, the "current award amount" is $63,000, with an "outlayed amount" of $22,725.

Patch reached out to ICE, which was not immediately available for comment.

On Friday, Assemblyman Phil Ramos and Councilman Jorge Guadrón both issued statements regarding the contact.

While Ramos said he was "deeply disappointed that such a decision was made in a community that proudly holds the highest concentration of Hispanic taxpayers in New York State outside of New York City," he also said that he is "not aware of the full status" of the agreement, and has requested clarification from the town.

Guadrón also took to social media, addressing "increasing rumors" that the town has allowed the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, to use the range "as its operations center."

The councilman said that while the town has allowed ICE to utilize the facility since the early 2000s, it is for "training purposes only" and it is "not where ICE operates."

Like Ramos, Guadrón said he doesn't know the "full extent or details of this agreement" and has also "requested clarifications from the pertinent offices."

The same day, Islip officials issued a statement, saying: "An Important Message from Supervisor Carpenter and the Islip Town Board.

"We would like to clarify some misinformation that has been spreading on social media regarding the Town of Islip’s rifle range. It has been the practice since at least the early 2000s, that the Town of Islip has signed agreements to allow the Department of Homeland Security, which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) falls under, to allow for the use of the town’s rifle range for training, qualification and certification purposes.

"The town’s rifle range is one of the very few such facilities on Long Island and serves a vital role in the training of individuals from law enforcement agencies including but not limited to Nassau County Police, Sheriffs and DA, Fire Island National Seashore, Amtrak, DMV, Suffolk Courts, U.S. Treasury, Farmingdale Police Department and the NYS Park Police. These partnerships help to ensure the safe use of firearms and proper training.

"Those attempting to politicize this matter are unnecessarily causing more distrust of our law enforcement agencies, especially in communities that are already vulnerable and underreporting crimes. The safety and protection of all of our residents, despite race, religion or Country of origin, remains our utmost concern," Town of Islip officials wrote.

Community empowerment organization Islip Forward, which created an ICE tracker app that documents sightings around Long Island, released a statement, accusing ICE of using the "taxpayer-funded shooting range" to "prepare for raids that tear families apart."

The statement continued: "We are calling on the Town of Islip to take immediate action. The town must urgently review every available option to terminate its contract with the Department of Homeland Security and end the use of our publicly funded shooting range for ICE, CBP, and ERO training.

"Furthermore, we demand that town officials issue a clear public statement pledging that this contract will never be renewed or extended under any circumstances."

Patch reached out to Ramos and the Town of Islip, which were not immediately available for comment.

The controversy is the latest regarding ICE's use of town property, after ICE agents were seen organizing in the Brentwood Fire Department's parking lot of its Broadway location in the predominantly Latino community of Brentwood, located in the Town of Islip.