📰YORK COUNTY | Brian Pellerin Releases statement on ICE | Independent Candidate for York County Sheriff

January 26, 2026, in a press release sent directly from Brian Pellerin to the Biddeford Buzz, Chief Deputy Brian Pellerin of the Cumberland County Sheriff's who is running for York County Sheriff, shared his sentiments regarding the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Below are Brian's remarks:

"When I launched my campaign for Sheriff of York County earlier this week, the issues surrounding immigration enforcement in Maine, particularly the role of ICE and the responsibilities of local law enforcement immediately moved to the forefront of public discussion.

I recognize the political fault lines that exist across our country. Many law enforcement leaders attempt to avoid controversy by remaining publicly neutral. As a candidate for Sheriff, I do not have that luxury, nor should I. I believe the voters of York County deserve transparency and accountability from anyone seeking this office. I therefore challenge all candidates for Sheriff in York County to clearly state their positions on these issues.

I am running as an Independent candidate for Sheriff, a political perspective I have held since the early 1990s. I will not repeat Democratic or Republican talking points, whether pro-ICE or anti-ICE. I will be direct: I will follow the law and uphold the constitutional protections afforded to every person within York County, the State of Maine, and the United States. Period.

My perspective is informed by more than three decades of service as a police officer, federal agent, and Chief Deputy. I was trained and certified as an instructor at both the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, where ICE, HSI, FPS, and U.S. Border Patrol agents are trained.

I understand their scope of authority, their training, and the operational limitations of what they can and cannot legally do. Unfortunately, I also know that in the last year or so training for these new federal officers has been accelerated and abbreviated, which should never be a consideration when training law enforcement officers.

Under current Maine law, county jails are required to accept any arrestee brought in by a local, state, or federal agency. This requirement is reinforced by Maine Department of Corrections regulations, which explicitly state that jails must comply. There is no legal discretion in this matter.

That law is changing. The newly enacted legislation (LD 1971) will likely, though not with absolute certainty, limit the ability of local and county law enforcement agencies to work with federal authorities in immigration enforcement activities. Whether I personally agree with that law is irrelevant. If it is the law, I will enforce it. I do not pick and choose which laws I will follow or not follow.

Federal criminal and administrative immigration laws are extraordinarily complex. For the same reason local police do not enforce federal statutes related to the FAA, IRS, or OSHA, local law enforcement lacks both jurisdiction and specialized training to enforce federal immigration law. York County Deputies are no exception.

That said, if any law enforcement officer anywhere in York County regardless of agency is under physical attack or immediate threat, York County Deputies will respond. Public safety comes first.

The York County Sheriff’s Office has endured years of chronic staffing shortages in both patrol and corrections. Our deputies are overworked and stretched thin. At present, they are fully consumed managing day-to-day operations and serving the residents of this county.

It is also important to distinguish between federal law enforcement and policing. They are not the same. Policing requires a different skill set, training, and philosophy. Federal officers deployed in our communities generally lack training in crowd control, riot response, mass arrests, and peacekeeping.

What I am seeing both nationally and here in Maine from federal officers includes poor tactics, ineffective de-escalation, excessive and unaccountable use of force, and inflammatory rhetoric. That is not modern, professional policing. It resembles policing practices from the 1950s, particularly those seen during the era of segregation. That is not what I support, and it is not how I will lead as the Sheriff of York County.

What I do support is the rule of law: the authority of the Legislature to enact laws, the authority of the courts to interpret them, and the responsibility of law enforcement to enforce them fairly and professionally. I will follow the law, and I will not hesitate to speak honestly about what I see.

Having a secure border, arresting and deporting noncitizen violent criminals from our community after being afforded due process is something that I support. I can tell you as someone who is living and breathing through this issue daily in Portland as the Chief Deputy for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, this is not what’s actually happening and I stand vehemently against it!

If my position does not align with your views, I respect that choice. This is where I stand.

You are free to support another candidate if your views differ from mine and I would encourage you to do so…"