Sherburne County Jail — Elk River MN, 19-Year IGSA, 131 Avg Daily Pop
Overview
The Sherburne County Jail in Elk River has the longest active ICE detention contract in Minnesota — 19 years across multiple presidential administrations. The IGSA guarantees $110/day per detainee. The jail has averaged 131 ICE detainees daily over the life of the program, peaking at 304/day in 2019 during the first Trump administration. Under Biden, the population dropped to as low as 2 detainees in 2023-2024.
The facility applied for a 287(g) jail enforcement model but the application is on hold after AG Ellison’s December 2025 legal opinion. The sheriff’s office says the 287(g) would only cover rare edge cases where ICE agents can’t reach the jail before a detainer expires.
Why This Facility Matters
Sherburne County is the metro-adjacent detention anchor. It’s close enough to the Twin Cities for ICE logistics but far enough to avoid the political heat of Hennepin or Ramsey counties. The 19-year track record demonstrates how IGSA revenue becomes embedded in county budgets.
The dramatic swing from 304/day (Trump 1.0) to 2/day (Biden) to what is likely a sharp rebound (Trump 2.0) illustrates how detention populations are driven by policy, not crime.
ICOM (Minnesota Interfaith Coalition on Immigration) runs an active “End ICE Detention in Sherburne County” campaign.