Rockingham commissioners send ICE contract to PrimeX for review before public hearing

Rockingham County commissioners on Jan. 8 agreed to delay scheduling a public hearing on a proposed contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) until county staff collect additional financial data and obtain an external review of liability and exposure.

Commissioners said they had received a copy of the ICE contract but that key financial elements — including staffing, meals and medical-cost projections — were incomplete or not yet received. Commissioners and staff agreed to send the document to PrimeX for review of county exposure and to assemble a list of specific questions to send to ICE’s contract office.

One commissioner noted operational concerns, including how the contract addresses juveniles and the agreed 72-hour holding period if the facility does not accept a juvenile transfer. Staff said they would likely need to ask ICE for contract clarifications and expect the Q&A to inform whether and when to schedule a public hearing.

The board did not schedule the hearing at this meeting. Instead, it directed staff to compile questions for ICE, circulate financial details when available, and return with PrimeX’s evaluation before setting a hearing date.