County will continue to work with ICE

By Jeron Rennie
Published:
August 5, 2014, 8:48 pm Updated: August 5, 2014, 8:57 pm



ALBERT LEA, Minn. – As a way to utilize unused jail space and make a little money doing it, Freeborn County entered an agreement with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The county temporarily houses and transports those facing court hearings and deportation.


The five-year agreement expired and is now on a yearly basis, but Sheriff Bob Kindler said there are no plans to stop working with them.


He said the county has made more than $10 million from it since the beginning. They receive just over $77 per detainee, per day.


“A lot of that goes toward maintaining the detention center facility. It also goes to cover wages and things like that. There is some money that is left over from that, that goes back into maintaining the facility,” Kindler said.


Freeborn County is one of four that do this kind of thing in the state. Kindler said the price per detainee was set five years ago. He said despite increasing costs, they are satisfied keeping that number the same.


The jail is allowed to hold just over 130 inmates. Kindler said right now just over 100 are in the jail and 65 of them are ICE detainees.

http://kimt.com/2014/08/05/county-wi...work-with-ice/