Riverside Regional Jail Authority Board hopes to receive more ICE detainees due to financial concerns

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- During a meeting of the Riverside Regional Jail Authority Board on Thursday, officials said they hope to continue negotiations with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and possibly house more ICE detainees, due to financial concerns.

Riverside Regional Jail — located in the area of 1000 River Road in Prince George County — is a 1,500-bed facility that houses inmates from Prince George, Charles City, Chesterfield and Surry counties, as well as the cities of Hopewell, Petersburg and Colonial Heights.

As first reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Riverside Regional Jail Authority Board, comprised of multiple law enforcement agencies and local governments, met on Thursday, July 24.

This meeting comes after the jail signed an agreement with ICE to hold people detained by the agency.

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During the meeting, the jail's superintendent, Jeffrey Dillman, requested the board's approval to continue negotiations with ICE and possibly expand the jail's role in housing ICE detainees.

Dillman said the request is due to financial need, as the facility faces a revenue shortfall for fiscal year 2026. He added that working further with ICE may help to offset that shortfall.

As for what caused the shortfall, potential situations mentioned included that the contract between the jail and the City of Hampton -- which allows Hampton inmates to be housed there -- might end. Another possibility was an increase in the jail's water bill.

Although immigration enforcement actions in Central Virginia have raised concern from immigration attorneys, organizations and community members, Dillman said Riverside Regional Jail maintains a "nonpartisan, apolitical position regarding detention operations."

Dillman further added that the jail will continue to comply and detain someone as directed if a lawful detention order is presented by a local, state or federal authority.

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"As your administrator, I am in no position to go against lawful detention orders or not support the Governor's request for jails to work with ICE and follow his Executive Order 47," Dillman said.

Dillman explained that the current practice is that ICE transfers detainees to the jail, where they are typically held "for a brief period -- averaging one overnight stay," before ICE personnel take the detainee back into custody for further processing.

Dillman also pointed to the jail having a longstanding history of cooperation with ICE, "dating back to the jail's conception," which typically entails housing people for up to two days after they are sentenced to then allow ICE to take custody of the detainee lawfully.