With all the ICE activity happening in Minnesota, people are asking: Where are federal agents taking the people they detain?

WCCO Investigates is digging in to share who's working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and what we've learned.

We know some are first taken to the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis before being moved to a local jail.   

Jails in Crow Wing, Freeborn, Kandiyohi and Sherburne counties are housing people for the agency. ICE said it has agreements with detention centers in the three counties. WCCO has asked how many people they've held and are holding since Operation Metro Surge began.

Kandiyohi County Sheriff Eric Tollefson told WCCO that only the Department of Homeland Security can release that information. He said it's worked with the federal government in this capacity for more than two decades, and says ICE inspects the jail four times a year and has a higher standard of care than the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Freeborn and Sherburne counties also confirm long-standing agreements.  

And while the Crow Wing County Jail isn't listed, WCCO discovered it's housing ICE detainees, too. Their first detainee arrived in late November. 

Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang tells WCCO he and his deputies have hearts, provide empathy and help people navigate the process. One day last week, Klang said they had 50 ICE holds in their jail, receiving $102 a day per person.

There are other types of agreements under what's called 287(g) program models.

Cass, Crow Wing, Itasca and Mille Lacs county sheriffs all signed Task Force Model agreements. It means staff can help to enforce ICE operations. 

Klang said seven deputies went through online training. So far, they have not been called upon to assist. 

Mille Lacs County Sheriff Kyle Burton told WCCO, "We have not been directly involved in any joint operations with ICE since signing the agreement." 

Freeborn and Kandiyohi county sheriffs signed a Warrant Service Officer agreement. It allows them to serve warrants on people inside their jail. Tollefson said their staff has not yet been trained. 

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison shared a legal opinion on 287(g) agreements in December, calling into question the agreements sheriffs have signed, saying only county commissioners can enter into the agreements.  So far, no state enforcement has happened. But last month, the American Civil Liberties Union sued Freeborn County on behalf of taxpayers for what it calls an "illegal agreement with ICE."

The Carver County Sheriff's Office drew criticism for considering an agreement with ICE. It declined to work with the agency, saying on Facebook that ICE's requirements were beyond what its facility can accommodate, requiring more than half of the jail space. 

We also know people once held in Minnesota have been transferred out of state. Click here for the online locator system.

The Carver County Sheriff's Office drew criticism for considering an agreement with ICE. It's now declining to work with the agency, saying on Facebook that ICE's requirements were beyond what its facility can accommodate, requiring more than half of the jail space. 

We also know people once held in Minnesota have been transferred out of state.