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County attorney summarizes ICE detainee contract; sheriff outlines operational details and revenue use
Summary
The county attorney reviewed the intergovernmental service agreement with ICE, noting the contract dates from 2007 and currently covers up to 40 beds. Presenters said the county is paid for bed availability and that negotiations are underway to update per-diem rates to reflect cost increases since 2020.
The county attorney briefed commissioners on the county’s intergovernmental services agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which the county has held in amended form since 2007. The contract allows the county facility to provide up to 40 beds for ICE detainees and includes compensation terms that the county is renegotiating to reflect increases in operational costs.
The county attorney described the county’s role as both a housing provider and a transporter for detainees, saying the work is largely “like a hotel and Uber” — providing bed availability and transportation services. He noted that the negotiated agreement pays the county for the availability of up to 40 beds even if fewer detainees occupy them on a given day.
Sheriff Johnson and detention center staff answered commissioners’ questions about operations. The sheriff said the per-diem rate had been set in a 2020 negotiation and that state law allows only one rate renegotiation per year; the county is pursuing an increased rate to reflect higher costs for meals, medical care, uniforms and detention staffing. The county attorney and sheriff emphasized that ICE-related costs are segregated from the county’s general inmate population and that ICE detainees are kept separate from general population per the agreement.
On revenue: commissioners asked how any surplus from that contract had been used. County staff said in earlier years, when the facility ran at higher occupancy, the sheriff purchased equipment and supplies (for example, safety equipment) with some of the contract proceeds; any such uses were brought to the board for approval consistent with county budgeting practice.
Commissioners asked practical questions about facility layout and what would happen if detainee counts exceeded 40; county staff said the contract stipulates 40 beds and staff try to avoid mixing detainees with general population, rearranging spaces as required by safety protocols.
Ending: County staff said negotiations with ICE are ongoing and that the sheriff’s office would continue to brief the board if terms change.
