Meister, Chip
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Chip Meister |
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| Agency | Sauk County Sheriff’s Office |
| Role | Sheriff |
| Field Office | Sauk County Jail |
| State | Wisconsin |
| Status | Active |
| Verification |
Verified |
Overview
Chip Meister is the Sheriff of Sauk County, Wisconsin. He has served multiple terms in the office, having been most recently sworn in for a third term as sheriff. He leads the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, which provides law enforcement services for the county and operates the Sauk County Jail.
Policies on ICE Detainees
Under Sheriff Meister’s administration, the Sauk County Jail has entered agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house federal detainees. Sauk County has a longstanding practice of assisting federal and other law enforcement agencies by housing individuals in custody, and this includes individuals in ICE custody or with ICE detainers placed while in the county jail. According to the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, housing ICE detainees does not divert local resources, and the sheriff’s office is reimbursed for costs associated with housing and services.
Sheriff Meister has stated that immigration enforcement, including decisions on apprehension and removal proceedings, is a federal responsibility, and that his office provides only food and shelter to ICE detainees until federal authorities determine how to proceed. The office also indicates that ICE detainees are afforded the same rights and care as other individuals in custody at the jail.
Role in ICE Cooperation and Legal Challenges
Sauk County’s policies have placed Sheriff Meister at the center of broader state-level controversy over cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. According to reporting and legal filings, Sauk County is among several Wisconsin sheriffs named in a lawsuit challenging local law enforcement’s ability to honor ICE detainers — requests to continue holding individuals beyond when they would otherwise be released so that ICE can take custody. In legal documents, Sheriff Meister is identified as a respondent, with the policy of honoring ICE detainers in Sauk County named as part of the practice under challenge.
Documented Agreements
- Sauk County has modified intergovernmental agreements to include ICE as an authorized rider, allowing the county to receive a per-diem reimbursement for housing ICE detainees, as well as reimbursements for transportation and guard services. In mid-2025, Sauk County billed ICE for days of detention under this agreement.
Evidence and Sources
- Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, “ICE Housing” policy page, outlining the department’s practice of housing ICE detainees and the sheriff’s stated position on immigration enforcement as a federal responsibility.
[1]
- ACLU of Wisconsin, press release and reporting based on open records requests, documenting agreements between Wisconsin sheriffs — including Sauk County — and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house and transport ICE detainees.
[2]
- Wisconsin Supreme Court docket and filings in litigation challenging the legality of honoring ICE detainers by local law enforcement, in which Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister is named as a respondent.
[3]
- Wisconsin Examiner, reporting on county contracts, per-diem reimbursement rates, and the expansion of ICE detention agreements involving Wisconsin sheriffs, including Sauk County.
[4]