West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey has announced a sweeping agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to intensify immigration enforcement across the state. This collaboration utilizes the 287(g) authority, enabling state police, the National Guard, and correctional officials to assist with immigration tasks such as detaining suspected illegal immigrants, verifying immigration status, and conducting arrests. Morrisey cited the state’s significant drug crisis—particularly the fentanyl epidemic—as a driving force behind the agreement, emphasizing the Biden administration’s perceived failure to address illegal immigration.
West Virginia has long ranked among the states with the highest rates of drug-related deaths, a crisis that Morrisey says underscores the need to work with ICE to combat fentanyl trafficking.