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Grand Forks County Correctional Center — Expanding IGSA jail, ICE/USMS demand for beds

Grand Forks, ND FIPS 38035
300+ beds (post-expansion)
Bed capacity
Operator: Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office

Overview

The Grand Forks County Correctional Center (GFCCC) in Grand Forks, ND is a primary ICE detention facility in the state, operating under an IGSA with ICE. The facility completed a 72-bed expansion in mid-2025, bringing total capacity to over 300 beds. ICE and U.S. Marshals have been actively requesting access to the new beds.

Key Details

  • Location: 1701 N Washington St, Grand Forks, ND (FIPS 38035)
  • Pre-expansion capacity: ~228 beds
  • Post-expansion capacity: 300+ beds (72-bed medium-security dormitory addition)
  • Operator: Grand Forks County Sheriff Andy Schneider
  • ICE contract rate: $100/day (contract expired Dec 31, 2025; sheriff seeking “significantly higher” rate)
  • Expansion timeline: Construction began July 2023, completed ~May 2025, fully operational by August 2025

Expansion and ICE Demand

The sheriff regularly receives calls from ICE officials and U.S. Marshals who want to know when the jail can take more people. The $100/day ICE contract expired at end of 2025, with the sheriff negotiating for a higher rate. The expansion was completed three months ahead of schedule.

The facility is also being considered for housing state Department of Corrections inmates as part of overflow relief — North Dakota is experiencing prison overcrowding statewide. Governor Armstrong proposed using state funds at Grand Forks jail as a temporary overcrowding solution in January 2025.

Strategic Significance

Grand Forks sits at the intersection of:

  • Northern border operations: Grand Forks Sector Border Patrol covers 861 miles of Canada border
  • ICE field office coverage: Falls under Fort Snelling (Minneapolis) ERO field office
  • Secretary Noem visit: Feb 4, 2026, Noem and ICE Director Lyons held Northern Border Round Table at Grand Forks AFB
  • Statewide enforcement hub: 202 ICE arrests in ND between Jan 20-Oct 15, 2025 (up from 81 in same period 2024)

Grand Forks is the only ICE-designated detention center in North Dakota. Detainees held here are now subject to the Eighth Circuit’s March 25, 2026 ruling (2-1) permitting mandatory detention without bond hearings — binding in ND and overriding the earlier district-court bond-hearing orders by Judges Hovland and Erickson. Seven emergency habeas petitions challenging ICE detention had been filed in ND federal court as of February 2026. See bond-hearing-circuit-split-2026.

Sources

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Last updated: Jul 3, 2026