By Bethany Blankley
The Center Square

West Virginia sheriffs are leading in partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement through a federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program.

Located more than 1,500 miles from the Texas-Mexico border, West Virginia sheriffs are participating in a task force model (TFM) created by the Trump administration to target and apprehend illegal border crossers.

The 287(g) program is named after a section of Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 USC 1357, Section 287(g)(1), which authorizes ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration functions only under ICE’s direction and supervision.

It creates a “force multiplier” to help federal agents “deport removable aliens involved in gang activity, violent crimes, human smuggling, organized crime, sex offenses, drug smuggling, money laundering and many other crimes,” ICE explains.

Federal training is free, the Department of Justice provides grants, and many of the duties already fall within tasks officers have sworn an oath to perform, namely arresting people for state crimes and processing them in their local or state jails.

The Trump administration is advocating three 287(g) models: a Jail Enforcement Model (JEM), a Task Force Model (TFM) and Warrant Service Officer (WSO) model, The Center Square reported. Previous administrations primarily used the WSO.

The TFM is critical to enhanced ICE enforcement operations because it allows local law enforcement to participate in limited immigration authority during routine police duties. This includes “identifying an alien at a DUI checkpoint and sharing information directly with ICE,” and assisting with apprehensions, transportation, detention or other actions. By providing additional support, West Virginia law enforcement eliminated the opportunity for escalated violence.

Violence has erupted in Democratic led cities nationwide where law enforcement was restricted from participating in 287(g) or cooperating with ICE. They also weren’t providing basic support, including securing perimeters or keeping paid agitators from blocking traffic.

Unlike in other states, all West Virginia sheriffs participating in 287(g) are participating in the TFM. They include sheriffs from Berkeley, Cabell, Hampshire, Harrison, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan, Putnam, Summersville, Upshur and Wood counties. The Summersville and Village of Clearview police departments, West Virginia National Guard and West Virginia State Police are also participating in the TFM. The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation is participating in the WSO, according to ICE data.

Once they signed up and completed training, they participated in their first joint operation late last month. There were no violent protests or altercations, unlike in other states.

West Virginia’s first two-week joint operation with ICE led to the arrest of more than 650 illegal foreign nationals including several with serious criminal histories and those who were previously deported.

ICE-Philadelphia Enforcement and Removal Operations officers, working with federal, state and local law enforcement, surged teams to Martinsburg, Moorefield, Morgantown, Beckley, Huntington and Charleston as part of the operation.

The results demonstrated “how strong partnerships between ICE and West Virginia law enforcement agencies enhance public safety and the integrity of our immigration system,” ICE ERO Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Michael Rose said. “By training and supporting our 287(g) partners across the state, we’ve expanded local capacity to identify, arrest, and process illegal aliens while ensuring these authorities are exercised professionally and consistent with the law.”

West Virginia 287(g) partnerships “serve as a force multiplier for federal resources, enabling local officers — under ICE training and supervision — to identify and help remove individuals who may pose threats to public safety or have violated U.S. immigration laws,” ICE said.

After working with ICE for two weeks, Jefferson County Sheriff Tom Hansen said his office was “impressed with the professionalism and work ethic of the agents and how well they interacted with the citizens and local law enforcement officers.

“Working with such a high caliber group of agents who were assigned to Jefferson County made the decision to support the initiative worthwhile. We are also gratified that through this program, we have had the opportunity to remove numerous dangerous criminals from our community.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey also lauded the partnership, saying, “Through our collaboration under the 287(g) program, they have removed dangerous illegal immigrants from our communities and made our state safer for families and law-abiding citizens. After years of Biden’s reckless border policies putting the public at risk, it is encouraging to work with President Trump and ICE to secure our homeland and deliver real results for West Virginians.”

Morrisey supported Texas’ border security efforts through Operation Lone Star at the height of the Biden-era border crisis, The Center Square reported.

As of February 9, ICE has signed 1,379 Memorandums of Agreement with law enforcement agencies in 40 states. They include 151 JEM agreements in 32 states, 460 WSO agreements in 35 states, and 768 TFM agreements in 35 states. ICE also has 30 pending 287(g) applications, with the majority, 25, being TFM agreements.