As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests continue across the country—including here in Iowa—the Linn County Jail is currently housing some of those taken into federal custody.
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office has a three-year agreement with the U.S. Marshals Service to house ICE detainees, earning the county $140 per inmate, per day. Sheriff Brian Gardner says the actual cost to house an inmate currently runs between $125 and $130 per day, meaning the arrangement could be financially beneficial for the county.
This partnership isn’t new. Linn County previously housed ICE detainees to help fund construction of the jail on Mays Island in Cedar Rapids. “We’ve always housed them,” Gardner said, noting that numbers vary over time…