Brendan J. Lyons is reporting for the Times Union Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple has announced the county jail is being used to house people arrested by U.S. immigration officials. Apple said federal homeland security officials contacted sheriffs statewide recently seeking beds for those arrested for "low-level" offenses. The 1,040-bed Albany County Jail has been at half capacity since last year. County officials have set aside a special wing to house immigrants, apart from the facility's general population. Apple said federal authorities told him the individuals being housed in Albany were not among the immigrant families arrested in recent months while trying to enter the United States. Federal authorities told sheriff's officials the immigrants being detained at the Albany County jail are from countries that include Nepal, Syria, Honduras, India, China, Guatemala and El Salvador. The federal government will pay $119 per day for each boarder, which Apple said represents a significant stream of revenue for the county. He said the jail currently houses 40 federal detainees; dozens more are expected in the coming weeks. A spokesman for the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in New York's regional office did not immediately respond to the Times Union's request for comment. It is unclear where the immigrants who will be sent to the county jail were arrested or what charges they face. ICE officials recently conducted a series of arrest-sweeps across the state, including in the Capitol Region. Read the full story in the Times Union.