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Lapeer County approves contract with Justice Benefits to seek federal reimbursement for ICE holds
Summary
The Lapeer County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a contract with Justice Benefits, Inc., to pursue federal per‑diem reimbursement for people held more than 96 hours who are later determined to be undocumented. County leaders said the program has been used by nearby counties and would be contingency-based.
The Lapeer County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 23 approved a contract with Justice Benefits, Inc. (JBI) to pursue federal reimbursement for people held in the county jail who are later identified by federal authorities as undocumented and detained beyond 96 hours.
The contract was presented by the sheriff’s office as a contingency arrangement: if JBI collects reimbursement the company takes a fee; if the county collects nothing, JBI is paid nothing. "If we get nothing, they get nothing. If we get something, then they get something," the presenter said. The board voted to approve the agreement after a motion from Commissioner Zender and support from Commissioner Hagedon.
Why it matters: The federal program reimburses local jails for lodging and meals when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or another federal agency takes custody of someone who has been incarcerated more than 96 hours and is later confirmed to be in the country without authorization. County officials said pursuing the reimbursement would recover funds expended by the county when such detentions occur.
Details from the discussion: Sheriff’s staff told commissioners the county’s claim under the current grant cycle covers two people over 202 total days in the period cited to the program. The presenter described the claim as relatively small in scale and said the county had attempted to prepare the paperwork internally but found the application and per‑diem calculations complex. The presenter said the company has worked with several other Michigan counties and that the expected federal pay rate varies year to year. "It's tricky because I don't know how much they're gonna pay yet," the presenter said when asked for a ballpark figure.
Commissioners and staff emphasized this is not a large, ongoing local problem but a mechanism to seek reimbursement for documented past and future qualifying holds. One commissioner said the county has tried to be proactive and cooperative with federal authorities on these cases and praised county staff and the jail lieutenant for the work behind the scenes.
What the contract does: According to the presentation, JBI will prepare and submit the federal claim and calculate the applicable per‑diem reimbursement; the company’s fee is contingent on collection. County staff will supply records and prior detention data to support claims.
Outcome and next steps: The board approved the contract (motion by Commissioner Zender, support by Commissioner Hagedon). Commissioners asked staff to proceed with the agreement and work with the sheriff’s office and JBI to identify eligible days and submit claims.
Context and limits: County presenters repeatedly described the situation as limited in scope (two qualifying individuals in the cited period) and emphasized the 96‑hour federal threshold for reimbursement. The board did not adopt any change to jail policy; the vote authorized the contract for claim preparation and filing only.
