County staff working on ICE quality‑control and staffing plan; medical costs described as separate from contract rate

Rockingham County officials reported ongoing work this month to respond to follow‑up questions from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after initial materials were submitted. County staff said ICE requested a quality‑control plan and a medical staffing plan, and the county’s compliance and risk manager is drafting the quality‑control document while medical providers are preparing staffing information.

Why this matters: if the county pursues a contract or agreement to house ICE detainees, federal expectations for staffing, medical coverage and quality control can shape costs and operations.

Details from the meeting: during the Sept. 4 board meeting a county official said ICE had written back requesting a quality control plan and a medical staffing plan. The county’s compliance and risk manager, Warren (identified as compliance and risk manager in the meeting), is preparing that quality‑control plan and collecting medical staffing details from the county’s medical provider. County staff said ICE also provided an initial cost estimate and that the county expects to add costs for officers when they conduct transports.

On the question of medical payments, the county said medical costs would be separate from the per‑detainee rate being negotiated: “They would pay all their medical. They just wanna make sure it's staffed,” one county official said during the meeting. The county told commissioners medical staffing would be provided through the county’s contracted medical provider (PrimeCare, as referenced at the meeting) and that the county is assembling existing policies into the requested documentation.

Discussion vs. action: the board received a status update. Commissioners did not vote at the public meeting to approve a contract or to accept ICE’s terms; staff reported ongoing document preparation and that having ICE’s initial inspection had helped identify internal processes that must be consolidated in a formal plan.

Ending: staff said they are prepared to respond to ICE’s requests and will continue to refine the quality‑control and staffing plans; no contract decisions were made at the Sept. 4 meeting.