The Rockingham County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 on April 17, 2025, to authorize the superintendent of the Rockingham County Department of Corrections to finalize and submit a request for proposals to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security / U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for provision of detention services at the Rockingham County Jail.

Supporters said the RFP step is procedural and necessary to obtain information from federal officials that they said the county cannot get unless it signals formal interest. “There is a chance to make revenue,” one commissioner said during the meeting, adding an estimate that the county could net “more than 3 to $6,000 over and above our expenses.” That commissioner said authorizing the RFP does not commit the county to house detainees starting on any particular date and that further decisions would follow additional information and analysis.

Opponents said the county’s core role is to incarcerate persons who have committed crimes in Rockingham County and cautioned against holding people absent local due process. “I cannot support this,” a commissioner who identified themself as an officer of the court said. “You do not incarcerate any individuals without due process.” That speaker raised concerns about housing people who have not been adjudicated for crimes in the county and questioned whether adopting the RFP would move the county away from its primary mission.

Other commissioners expressed procedural concerns about the federal contracting process and the county’s ability to obtain answers from ICE before formally submitting the RFP. One commissioner said ICE appeared unwilling to answer basic questions unless the county submitted the RFP first, describing that approach as a “strong-arm” tactic.

The motion on the floor, as read into the record, authorized the superintendent to finalize and submit the RFP to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for detention services for detainees of the Rockingham County Jail. The meeting record shows the motion passed by a 2-1 vote.

The board did not adopt any operational changes or a contract in the meeting; the vote authorized only submission of an RFP. Commissioners and staff noted multiple follow-up items the county would need to examine if ICE responded, including transport logistics, liability, the population to be detained, and projected revenue and costs.

The debate occurred during the regular board meeting and was raised by commissioners and the superintendent of corrections; no final contract with ICE was signed or approved at the April 17 session. Commissioners said subsequent briefings and possible votes would be required before any detainees would be housed under a federal agreement.

Ending: The authorization sends the county into a formal information-gathering stage with ICE. Commissioners left on record that further analysis — including concrete revenue estimates, operational plans, and legal review of due-process and liability issues — would be required before the county could accept detainees under any federal arrangement.