‘We’ve Never Seen This Before’: Islip Group Rallies At Town Hall As ICE Activity Soars

ISLIP, NY — On Saturday afternoon, expected gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado joined Islip Forward, an Islip-based grassroots group, and more than 100 protesters rallied outside Islip Town Hall, where the organization called for the immediate termination of the town’s contract with the Department of Homeland Security.

As federal immigration enforcement intensifies across Long Island, Islip Forward says the Town of Islip is enabling the rise in operations by allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to train in the community’s backyard.

At the center of the rally is the Town of Islip’s long-standing contract with the Department of Homeland Security, which allows ICE agents to use the town-owned shooting range for firearms training, tactical drills, and simulations at the 200 Freeman Avenue location. The contract was set to expire in June, but Perez said the town extended the agreement in June.

“As a result of that contract, ICE agents now have full access to that shooting range,” said Islip Forward founder and executive director Ahmad Perez. “The town receives roughly $60,000 under the agreement, which allows ICE to train at the facility. They actually extended it in June of this year, so they'd opted to exercise an option on that contract to extend it for an additional period, and what we are calling for is a termination of that contract.”

Perez said residents have submitted reports of agents “in military fatigues now jogging up and down the streets next to daycares, dance studios,” adding, “This is something that we have never seen before.”

Islip Forward argues the training infrastructure enhances ICE’s ability to carry out large-scale operations in local neighborhoods.

“The operations they are executing day in and day out on our streets are actually being replicated right here in our backyard at the shooting range,” he said.
While some argue enforcement targets individuals with criminal records, Perez said many of those detained are longtime residents with no criminal history.

“Jose and Josue Lopez were two brothers from the Central Islip community,” he said. “They were on the verge of graduation and now… they’ve been diagnosed with PTSD and depression. They have no relatives in El Salvador. They’re sending people back to countries they do not know, with no criminal record.”

Perez, who was born and raised in Brentwood and previously served in the Biden administration as the Special Advisor for Implementation and Climate Justice at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said his advocacy stems from long-standing community concerns.

“I grew up through Brentwood public schools, and after some experience, questioned why some of the realities our community was facing were real,” he said. “This was really a part of a journey of recognizing that our communities deserve more, and we had to fight and be at that table if we wanted that to be a reality.”

Perez said Islip Forward, launched last year, has grown to 15 volunteers and reached more than 400,000 residents. The group has generated over 5 million views across social media, largely driven by concerns over escalating ICE presence in local neighborhoods.

The Long Island ICE Tracker is available as a public website and app, where residents submit real-time sightings. According to the group’s Long Island ICE Tracker, the pace of enforcement activity has climbed sharply throughout the year.

“We had started documenting what was one sighting every other week,” Perez said. “Then we saw something change dramatically… we went from almost one every other week to now one every single day, to now multiple times a day, to now almost ten a day.” He added, “We’ve literally documented and confirmed that November is the highest month of recorded enforcement activity in 2025.”

Perez attributes the surge to increased federal funding and expanded coordination between agencies, saying, “We are seeing that historic budget now pour into the ground and really reach these enforcement operations.”

Islip Forward coordinated with Suffolk County police to ensure a safe rally, including barriers and traffic measures around Town Hall. Their last rally in August drew about 150 people. With Delgado’s participation and widespread online attention, more than 200,000 views across posts promoting the event. Perez said Delgado’s involvement carries symbolic weight.

“To see a leader like Antonio Delgado… join us on the ground in community with a grassroots organization of people who live here, who are tired of what is happening in their own backyard—that means something,” he said.

Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter issued a statement Friday criticizing the timing of the demonstration, which coincides with the town’s annual holiday festival.

“The Town of Islip fully respects and upholds the rights of individuals to peacefully protest; this is a core principle of our democracy,” Carpenter said in a statement. “However, choosing to stage a politically charged protest during a longstanding, cherished community holiday festival certainly seems rather Grinch-like. Disrupting a family-focused event does a disservice to our residents, particularly the many children who look forward to Santa's arrival each year. Events such as this were created to unify our Town and foster togetherness, not an environment of divisiveness. Just as they have a right to protest, other residents should have a right to gather and celebrate the joy of the Holiday Season. Our top priority is ensuring a safe, positive, and welcoming environment for all who attend.”

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Perez said the timing was intentional.

“The absolute intention is discomfort,” he said. “The Republican town supervisor and Republican board members have refused to entertain the termination of this contract… Our goal is to make sure that they know that we are still here.”

Islip Forward plans to attend the Dec. 16 Town Board meeting and support the reintroduction of a resolution to end the ICE training contract. Looking to the broader debate over immigration, Perez urged Long Islanders to reconsider common assumptions.

“One of the fallback arguments is ‘do it the right way,’” he said. “The process that folks are attempting to align themselves with in their head does not exist… There is no safe process right now that is quick and expedient for families facing war, famine, or struggles in their communities.”