The Cascade County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a contract with U.S. Customs and Border Protection that ensures payment to the county for detaining immigrants.
The resolution cements a rate of $115 per prisoner, per day, which has been the rate paid since 2021 under a contract to house immigration detainees, many of whom were initially arrested by CBP. This resolution formalizes a new payment method as part of that 2021 contract, which was primarily with the U.S. Marshals Service.
The new contract passed on a 2-0 vote with Commissioner Eric Hinebauch absent.
The commissioners’ resolution stated that CBP had been paying the county to house detainees with federal convenience checks, though multiple laws require agencies to use an electronic payment platform through the U.S. Department of Treasury. The paper checks were allowed under a temporary waiver, according to the county.
Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter told commissioners Tuesday that he was first confused by the contract request. After a conference call with CBP officials, he said that he understood the agency needed to clarify the payment process and earmark funds for detention.
“Basically, what it is the federal government is trying to do is what we do, which is project their budget,” Slaughter said.
The contract runs for one year, through Sept. 29, 2026. There are options for renewals in three subsequent years. The document sets a “contract ceiling” of $20,700 per year based on an estimate of paying for 180 daily rates in a year. The actual number of days can vary based on the number of detainees.
Slaughter told commissioners that CBP stated it could pay more if the costs exceed the ceiling figure. The contract also reflects that the agency would pay a new rate if the county negotiates a higher rate with the U.S. Marshals Service and renew the current contract, a request that has been ongoing.
“We are in the process right now of requesting a rate increase,” Slaughter said.
The 2021 contract also allows detainees who come from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), though the county was also seeking a new detention contract directly with that agency. Slaughter said those discussions are ongoing.
There was one public commenter at Tuesday’s meeting, who expressed general concerns about the county’s participation in immigration enforcement.
“I would love it if my county would be the county who draws a line in the sand and says we will go no farther in participating in this frenzy of trafficking detainees,” said Donna Williams, a Great Falls resident.
There were many more comments during a county meeting in July, when Slaughter and Cascade County Attorney Josh Racki explained the 2021 contract amid concerns about a potential new ICE contract. Slaughter told attendees that immigration detention is a revenue generator for the jail, which is required to raise as much as 70% of its annual budget through inmate contracts with federal and state agencies.
CBP said in contract materials that its agents along the Hi-Line lack detention facilities and must rely on Cascade County to conduct immigration enforcement. Havre Sector agents have been the arresting agency for most immigration cases that have landed in U.S. District Court in Great Falls. That includes the March arrests of three men, whom CBP accused on social media of being members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang.
The gang allegations surprised both the men and their attorneys, who said there was no evidence of gang affiliation. A federal judge dismissed two of the men’s cases earlier this year.
The number of immigration detainees at the Cascade County Detention Center can vary, though it’s typically a dozen or fewer. On Tuesday, the jail roster showed 11 people labeled as “immigration inmate.” There were 365 total inmates at the jail as of Oct. 9, according to the sheriff’s office. The 25-year-old building has a capacity of 372.
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The resolution cements a rate of $115 per detainee, per day, which has been the rate paid since 2021 under a contract to house immigration detainees, many of whom were initially arrested by CBP. This new resolution formalizes a new payment method as part of that 2021 contract.
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