Two federal agencies had to move 35 people from the Minnehaha County Jail in the run-up to a state-funded saturation patrol late last month in Sioux Falls.

Minnehaha County officials asked federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service to transport the inmates, whom the county is paid to house, to other regional facilities to make space for a surge in local inmates.

“These troopers are very good at what they do,” said Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead, who had advance notice about the operation. “If 15 or 20 troopers show up, they’re going to make arrests.”

The saturation patrol ran on three days leading into Labor Day weekend as part of “Operation Prairie Thunder.” The branded campaign is a two-part initiative from Republican Gov. La

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