HAMILTON, Ohio (WXIX) - The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is raking in millions to the county’s general fund by housing illegal immigrants and other federal prisoners at its jail.
And now Sheriff Richard Jones is hiking the daily rate to hold U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees.
Starting next month, he said ICE will pay even more: $105 daily per ICE prisoner, up from $68 daily now.
So far in just eight months this year, the sheriff says his office has billed the U.S. government nearly $9 million ICE and U.S. Marshal Service prisoners.
By year’s end, that figure is projected to hit $12 million - $6 million more than originally projoected - and swell to $22 million total next year, he said.
“About 1,400 illegal aliens have been deported from my jail out of about 1,