RAPID CITY, S.D. – South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden has extended the deployment of seven South Dakota National Guard members who provide administrative support to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
The deployment will now continue through September 30th of, 2027, and is fully funded with federal dollars. Three guardsmen are assigned in Sioux Falls, three in Rapid City, and one serves in an administrative role.
According to the governor’s office, the National Guard members have helped ICE process more than 1,000 deportations since the deployment began in July of 2025.
Rhoden also announced nearly $ 480,000 in additional federal funding for the South Dakota Highway Patrol’s participation in ICE’s 287(g) program. The funding will be used for personnel costs, specialized equipment, and technology.
State officials say 38 Highway Patrol troopers are currently involved in the program and have assisted with 261 immigration-related arrests during routine patrols.
The South Dakota Department of Corrections is also continuing its cooperation with ICE. Officials report 38 inmates have been paroled directly into ICE custody, while four others have been approved for transfer and are awaiting placement.
State leaders say those transfers save South Dakota taxpayers more than $34,000 per inmate each year in incarceration costs.
