Lindsay Lohan -- Safe and Sound at Betty Ford ... For Now

Lindsay Lohan is safely ensconced at the Betty Ford Center rehab facility in Rancho Mirage, CA ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Lindsay checked in late Thursday night ... barely dodging a looming arrest warrant.

We broke the story ... Lindsay has re-hired Shawn Holley, who then negotiated with Santa Monica City Attorney Terry White to make the deal that Betty Ford was an acceptable rehab joint.

It's ironic Lindsay is at Betty Ford -- you'll recall back in 2010 Lindsay got into an epic fight during her rehab stay with a staffer. The police were called and civil lawsuits were filed. It's amazing Betty Ford took her back.

We're told prosecutors will back off their promise to seek an arrest warrant today ... although they still have to get the judge to sign off on Betty Ford, but it looks like that will just be a formality.