Bolts: Orange County, NY, Is Ending Its ICE Jail Contract Under the State Ban While Its Sheriff Joins a Suit Against the Law

Bolts reported on Oct. 23 that New York’s state ban on local immigration cooperation, which “restricted county detention contracts,” is forcing Orange County to terminate the jail contract it first entered into in 2008, and that Sheriff Paul Arteta joined a group of law enforcement officials suing over the law’s implementation in late August. The county was required to exercise the contract’s termination clause by Aug. 25; localities have until Nov. 25 to certify compliance, a date the state Attorney General’s office confirmed to Bolts. The jail’s corrections captain told a county legislature committee that “the ICE detainee count was 171 for August and as of this morning it was zero,” and put year-to-date “boarder revenue” from ICE at $8.13 million. Advocates told Bolts they learned of additional book-ins after Aug. 25, so the actual detainee population remains unclear.

Bolts also notes the federal lease of a Newburgh warehouse, reported by Project Salt Box with “some indication that it could be used for ICE detention” (see 2026-07-14–newburgh-ny-town-board-opposes-ice-warehouse-lease), so ending the jail contract does not by itself end detention capacity in the county. See also 2026-08-26–ny-ag-james-subpoenas-counties-defying-287g-termination-law.