09/02/2026
We meed a new Sheriff who will have residents back!
For Immediate Release:
Orange County Sheriff Candidate Bernie Rivers
Criticizes Sheriff Paul Arteta’s Role in Pro-ICE Lawsuit by Notorious DC-Based Pressure Group
August 31, 2026 — ORANGE COUNTY, N.Y. — Democratic Orange County Sheriff candidate and Retired Director NYS DEC Division of Law Enforcement Bernie Rivers released a statement today criticizing current Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta for joining a
federal lawsuit that seeks to redirect the Sheriff’s Department resources from its core law enforcement responsibilities and expand ICE activity in Orange County. Arteta’s lawsuit
was filed by lawyers for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a notorious DC-based advocacy group at the fringes of current immigration debates.
Statement from Bernie Rivers:
“The job of the Orange County Sheriff is to protect our communities, provide exceptional service
and operate a safe and secure County Jail. Paul Arteta’s
participation in a lawsuit to expand the Sheriff’s Department ICE responsibilities in Orange County is irresponsible, wasteful and undermines the integrity of the Office.
“We’re trusted by residents to professionally enforce the laws passed by our legislature – not to join with a Washington pressure group in a damaging effort to overturn them. Orange County residents deserve a Sheriff who is focused on their needs, not one chasing national headlines at the expense of public trust.”
The suit filed by Arteta and FAIR challenges New York’s “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act,” a law which prohibits local law enforcement agencies from entering into or remaining in 287(g) agreements to
perform civil federal immigration enforcement or operate ICE jails. Arteta’s litigation comes after Orange County has reportedly already terminated its 287(g) agreements and the County’s legislature unanimously voted twice against proposed local ICE expansions.
