(5-29-26) According to a WIBC posting.…an investigation has revealed that a citizen of Mauritania located in Northwest Africa, was working as a Correctional Officer at the Jay County Jail and is currently sitting in federal immigration custody—despite successfully clearing federal E-Verify checks during his onboarding.
WIBC – ICE Detains Correctional Officer After E-Verify Cleared His Hire
Salah Habib is currently being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Clay County Jail detention facility in Brazil, Indiana.
Farmers’Advance – ‘A cash cow’: How detaining immigrants became major revenue source for small Indiana county
The (Clay County) county’s general fund soared to $13.5 million this year, thanks in part to the jail’s partnership with ICE. That’s a 224% jump from 2013, when the county first began housing ICE detainees. The jail’s budget this year, $4.9 million, is about a third of the general fund. The remainder covers other county expenses and agencies, including the prosecutor’s office and the sheriff’s department.
According to sources close to the case, Habib is fighting active, final deportation orders to remove him from the United States.
The case raises critical questions regarding local law enforcement vetting, documentation, and the reliability of federal employment screening networks. Jay County Sheriff Larry Ray Newton verified Habib’s employment, clarifying that Habib served as a non-armed Correctional Officer at the county jail. Sheriff Newton noted that Habib is his step-son-in-law, married to his daughter, however, Newton stated that Habib began his employment with the department before marrying into the family.
Mercer County Outlook 