South Dakota troopers have assisted in more than 204 immigration-related arrests, and state National Guard soldiers have helped process 807 deportations as the state continues to expand its partnership with federal immigration authorities.

The update came as Gov. Larry Rhoden announced that President Donald Trump’s administration has provided $150,418 to the state to recoup the costs associated with the South Dakota Highway Patrol’s collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the terms of an agreement signed in the spring of 2025, state troopers are authorized to carry out some federal immigration enforcement duties.

The money will go toward payroll, and specialized equipment and technology for the Highway Patrol’s enforcement work. The state expects additional funding as operations continue, according to a news release from Rhoden’s office.

In May, Rhoden issued a press release saying the federal government had committed to reimbursing the state $165,000. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to a question about the total cost of immigration-related enforcement for the state patrol.

Rhoden’s immigration enforcement push, which also loops in the state Department of Corrections and the South Dakota National Guard, is part of a law enforcement undertaking dubbed “Operation Prairie Thunder.” It features periodic saturation patrols by state troopers, 14 of which have taken place in 11 cities across South Dakota since last July. Initial operations focused on Sioux Falls.

“Our partnership with ICE has delivered strong results, and I look forward to continuing to partner with the Trump Administration as we work to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free,” Rhoden said in the press release.

The governor’s office said 40 Highway Patrol troopers are participating in the program. That’s more than double the number trained in mid-May,

when Rhoden announced plans

to fold more troopers into the program.

The 204 trooper-assisted apprehensions of people who reportedly lacked legal status is a jump from May, when

the state said Highway Patrol

reported 150 arrests.

The Corrections Department, meanwhile, has paroled 25 people into ICE custody for deportation. Four more people incarcerated by the state were approved for release into federal custody by the parole board in June, Rhoden’s office said, and the board will consider four more cases in July.

Each person released from state custody saves the state an average of $34,000 per year, Rhoden’s office said.

Seven South Dakota National Guard soldiers have also remained deployed in Sioux Falls and Rapid City since the fall to help ICE process deportations. National Guard-assisted deportation processing starting in May 2025

rose from 664 through mid-May

to 807 as of Tuesday.

The state Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to a request for the total number of people deported from South Dakota since the state began coordinating with ICE.

Some of the people whose ICE deportations were aided by the state National Guard may not have been living in South Dakota, Rhoden spokesperson Josie Harms told Searchlight, as they could’ve been apprehended while traveling through the state.

ICE did not respond to a request for comment on the total number of people deported from South Dakota since Trump took office.

— This story was originally published on southdakotasearchlight.com.

FARGO — Energy companies plan to build a 150-mile power line that stretches from northwest of Fargo into South Dakota.

Otter Tail Power Co. and Xcel Energy introduced on Monday, July 6, their Big Stone South to Hankinson (North Dakota) to Bison transmission line to the Cass County Commission. The 345-kilovolt line will run from the Bison Substation about 15 miles northwest of Fargo, or 5 miles north of Mapleton, North Dakota, to the Hankinson Substation to the Big Stone South Substation about 60 miles northeast of Watertown, South Dakota, said Craig Steingaard, senior transmission project developer at Otter Tail.

The line will be made of single-circuit, self-supporting monopoles between 120 and 160 feet tall, spanning 700 to 1,200 feet between each other, Steingaard said. The right-of-way is expected to be 150 feet, he said.

The companies are in the process of determining the final route and seeking permits for the project, Steingaard said. Construction is slated to begin in mid-2030, with operation beginning in late 2033.

Otter Tail and Xcel are studying a corridor west of Fargo and along Interstate 29, according to a slideshow presented by Steingaard. The line will go through Cass and Richland counties in North Dakota and Grant and Roberts counties in South Dakota, Steingaard said.

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission and North Dakota Public Service Commission need to approve the projects. Otter Tail and Xcel also need to get building permits from the counties they cross.

The project is one of five high-priority projects in what is called the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue, according to Otter Tail. The project seeks to “optimize interconnection” along the seam of the Southwest Power Pool and Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Otter Tail said.

SPP covers a region that includes north Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and parts of South Dakota and North Dakota. MISO also covers parts of North Dakota and covers much of the Midwest, including Minnesota and Iowa.

“It (the transmission line) helps relieve pressure on transmission lines that are currently overloaded,” Otter Tail spokeswoman Stephanie Hoff told The Forum. “Overall, it strengthens the electric system across the region, making it more reliable and better able to recover during emergencies or high-demand situations today and into the future.”

Xcel and Otter Tail have held open houses this year to gather input from the public. It also has reached out to landowners to assist in narrowing down the potential corridor, Steingaard said.

It’s unclear how much the project will cost or how many jobs it will create.

Otter Tail is also involved in a

160-mile power line

from near Fargo across the Red River into central Minnesota. That project is expected to begin in 2029 and could be operational in 2033, according to Otter Tail.

That line is in partnership with Great River Energy and Minnesota Power.

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 6, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from July 6 drawing

17-44-63-66-67, Powerball: 04, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from July 6 drawing

12-16-19-21-23, Star Ball: 10, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 6 drawing

02-08-32-54-56, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

• Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
• Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
• Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.