The Phelps County Jail will no longer take in new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees, effective Sept. 1. The jail will continue to hold detainees brought in before then until they are transferred to another facility.

“It’s Sheriff Mike Kirn’s decision, and we support it,” said Joey Auxier, presiding commissioner of the Phelps County Commission. “He runs the jail, and he does a good job. It’s his call.”

The federal government reimburses jails $85 a night to house detainees, including those brought in by U.S. marshals or military police. But people arrested by ICE require more labor due to transportation requirements and paperwork. The reimbursement amount did not cover the Phelps County Jail's costs.

Kirn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The jail in

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