The jail received 20 federal detainees during its first week of federal operations, from Monday, Nov. 2, through Friday, Nov. 6. Sheriff Garry L. McFadden said the transfers followed months of preparation and coordination between county staff and federal authorities.

"This is an important milestone for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office," McFadden said. "We appreciate the trust and cooperation of the United States Marshals Service and the hard work of everyone involved in making this possible. Our staff remains committed to operating a safe, secure, and professionally managed detention facility."

The sheriff said his office will continue accepting federal detainees until the North Detention Center reaches its designated target of 66. The collaboration is intended to support federal detention operations while maintaining facility safety, security and accountability standards, according to the sheriff's office.

McFadden also said he has been in ongoing communication with U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson and Chris Edge, chief of the U.S. Marshals Service, and looks forward to deepening the partnership.

"We look forward to building on this successful collaboration and working more closely with United States Attorney Ferguson and Edge of the United States Marshals Service in the years ahead," he said.

The arrangement marks a new chapter for the county jail system, which had previously been preparing to receive transferred federal detainees. For residents, the change means the county facility will take on a federal role alongside its local detention duties, a shift that raises questions about capacity, oversight and the conditions inside the jail as the population grows toward the 66-detainee goal.