PAX, W.Va. (WVDN) – Governor Patrick Morrisey announced that the West Virginia State Police (WVSP), in coordination with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have arrested 12 individuals for immigration violations over a two day period. Members of the WVSP were operating under the ICE 287(g) program, which delegates the authority to perform specified immigration enforcement functions to state and local law enforcement officers.
“I am proud to have West Virginia’s Law Enforcement working together with ICE to enforce the nation’s immigration laws and support President Trump’s border policies,” said Governor Morrisey. “This partnership is already producing results with a dozen arrests made in just the past few days. I want to commend the WVSP for their work as we continue to support actions that protect West Virginians.”
Governor Morrisey has previously announced that the WVSP, the West Virginia National Guard, and the West Virginia Division of Corrections would be participating in the ICE 287(g) program to support President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Only participating law enforcement personnel who are nominated, trained, certified, and authorized have the authority to conduct the delegated immigration officer functions.
With the assistance of ICE, the 12 undocumented immigrants were apprehended by the State Police Parkways Interdiction Team between Sunday and Monday during traffic stops that occurred along Interstate 77, near the Pax area of Fayette County. After all 12 were determined to have entered or remained in the United States illegally, the undocumented immigrants were placed under arrest for immigration violations and taken to South Central Regional Jail.
