BOZEMAN — Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer is considering a proposal from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to use space in the county's detention center as a temporary holding facility.

ICE has requested 10 beds to temporarily house inmates being transferred into the federal court system. Sheriff Springer says the federal agency would pay $135 per day for each bed, which is the full cost of housing an inmate at the detention center.

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"It's 72 hours; it's my understanding that they would kind of move them along into the next process, which is down to the court systems in either Salt Lake or Las Vegas," Springer said. "So this was really just more of a holding for a couple days to get them transferred down, but the 10 beds would be guaranteed contracted bed days all year long."

Springer says to ensure adequate room is available, he has asked to have inmates from the Department of Corrections returned to the state prison in Deer Lodge, which he says is already underway.

The Gallatin County Commission must approve the agreement before it can take effect. Commissioners have established several requirements that must be met, including:

• No inmates would be released into the local community
• Inmates must be held for criminal offenses, not just civil proceedings
• ICE must pay the $135 daily rate for all 10 beds, regardless of whether they are filled

As of today, no contract has been signed by either ICE or the county commissioners. You can read the full response to ICE's request from the Gallatin County Commission below.
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