ICE Housing

Recently the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office has been asked about the housing of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) Detainees in the Sauk County Jail.

The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office has a long-standing tradition of assisting our local, state and federal partners with the housing of inmates.  For the last 21 plus years we have housed inmates from law enforcement agencies outside of Sauk County, including the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, other Wisconsin Counties, Probation and Parole, United States Marshals, and U.S.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office has always been a good partner with our Local, State and Federal law enforcement agencies and will continue to be.

Housing ICE detainees does not divert any resources from the Sheriff’s Office, and we are reimbursed for all costs incurred. Revenue generated by contract housing helps reduce our reliance on tax levy dollars. This revenue ensures that the Sheriff’s Office continues to provide a high level of law enforcement services to the citizens of Sauk County.

The ICE Detainees housed at the Sauk County Jail are either already in the custody of ICE, or have had an ICE detainer placed upon them after being booked into the jail for non-immigration related crimes.  These ICE detainees are held in the Sauk County Jail for a short term.  ICE detainees are also provided the same rights and care as other detainees.

Immigration is a federal issue.  As Sheriff, I do not make any decisions on the apprehension of the detainees (absent some other crime having been committed) or deportation of these detainees.  I merely provide food and shelter until a determination is made by federal authorities about how they wish to proceed with their legal process.

Chip Meister

Sauk County Sheriff