PAX, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Governor Patrick Morrisey announced Tuesday that the West Virginia State Police (WVSP), working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arrested 12 individuals for immigration violations over a two-day period.
The arrests were made under the ICE 287(g) program, which gives trained state and local law enforcement officers authority to perform certain immigration enforcement functions.
“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,” Morrisey said.
“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.”
Morrisey previously announced that the WVSP, the West Virginia National Guard, and the West Virginia Division of Corrections would participate in the ICE 287(g) program to support federal immigration policies.
Only nominated, trained, certified, and authorized law enforcement officers are permitted to carry out these functions.
According to officials, the WVSP Parkways Interdiction Team, with assistance from ICE, conducted traffic stops along Interstate 77 near Pax in Fayette County between Sunday and Monday.
During those stops, 12 undocumented immigrants were determined to have entered or remained in the U.S. illegally.
All 12 were arrested for immigration violations and transported to South Central Regional Jail.
