MASON CITY, IA- The Cerro Gordo Law Enforcement Center has several new inmates today after Monday's immigration raid in Postville, Iowa. Sheriff Kevin Pals says nine inmates arrived early Thursday morning.
Pals says the department did not get any advance warning the inmates would arrive this soon. 125 detainees are facing felony criminal charges. Many are in county jails and at a fairground.
Sheriff Kevin Pals says the U.S. Marshals office contacted him about a month ago. He says they just completed a six month deal with the Marshal’s office Wednesday afternoon. Then at 5:00 this morning 9 detainees were dropped off.
"The original agreement was they were supposed to call us and give us some advanced notice when they were coming," he said.
Later in the afternoon 10 additional detainees arrived. Pals expects that number to reach the max of 30.
Pals says since this is a new facility it's very appealing to the Marshals office. Federal prisoners mean federal money for the county. He estimates around $70,000 a month if they get all 30 prisoners. That's more than deals with other counties or even the state.
“With federal inmates, its guaranteed money from the federal government, so right away we’re already boosting our income because we know, hold a federal inmate, they’re gonna pay,” he said.
According to the Des Moines Register, authorities are saying more criminal arrests are likely. That's as they continue to identify workers from Agriprocessors.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 390 men and women at an Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville. It is the largest immigration raid of its type in U.S history. Agriprocessors is the largest kosher producing processors plant in the nation.
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