Federal immigration officials are looking at expanding jail cells in Minnesota and other parts of the country.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has sent a request for information that identifies St. Paul and three other cities — Chicago, Detroit and Salt Lake City — in which the agency is looking to possibly expand detention sites.
ICE spokesman Shawn Neudauer in St. Paul said the agency does not discuss contract negotiations.
ICE is using five county jails across Minnesota to hold people suspected of being in the U.S. illegally — Nobles, Freeborn, Sherburne, Ramsey and Carver.
Immigration lawyer Kim Hunter told KSTP-TV that the rise in detentions of people suspected of being in the country illegally is driving ICE’s request for more jail cells.