Photo Courtesy/WV Governor’s Office Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced the arrest of more individuals suspected of entering the U.S. illegally through traffic stops on West Virginia interstate highways by the State Police.

CHARLESTON — It has been more than one month since the West Virginia State Police began immigration enforcement actions on Interstates 77 and 79, netting 60 illegal immigrants during that time.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey and West Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Jim Mitchell held a press conference in Beckley on Tuesday afternoon announcing the arrest of 23 alleged illegal immigrants since the beginning of October, including 18 arrests this last Saturday alone by troopers along the West Virginia Turnpike, on I-77 and additional stops on I-79.

“If you were in our country illegally, if you were in West Virginia, if you were breaking our laws, we are going to arrest you. Period,” Morrisey said.

In two previous press conferences, Morrisey announced the arrests of 12 suspected illegal immigrants between Sept. 21 and 22, and the arrests of 25 suspected illegal immigrants since that first announcement, bringing the total of arrests as of Oct. 2 to 37. With the additional 23 arrests announced Tuesday, the total number of suspected illegal immigrant arrests is now 60.

“People said, no, there’s not many arrests; there aren’t many undocumented aliens. We knew better,” Morrisey said. “At my direction in recent months, our state police have gained some of the tools, and they’ve been given the discretion to make these arrests, ultimately speeding up the deportation process.”

Morrisey signed an executive order in January directing the state Department of Homeland Security, the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the State Police and county and city law enforcement to cooperate with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal law enforcement officials. 

Morrisey announced in August that memoranda of understanding have been signed between ICE and state law enforcement and correctional agencies in support of immigration policies put in place by President Donald Trump’s administration.

“One of the things I was very excited about was when President Trump came in, we were all to forge a broad new partnership to really focus on this problem,” Morrisey said. “Because not only does it lead to the arrests of undocumented aliens, but it also plays a major role in fighting the drug crime that we have here in West Virginia.”

Morrisey said the State Police was operating under the ICE 287(g) program through the federal Immigration and Nationality Act. The program allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to work with state, county and city law enforcement to take part in specific immigration enforcement roles.

Morrisey signed a letter of intent in February to participate in the program. The state is also participating in the Warrant Service Officer Program, which allows state and local law enforcement to serve ICE administrative warrants.

“We want to assure the citizens of the State of West Virginia that your safety remains the highest priority of the West Virginia State Police,” Mitchell said. “I want to be perfectly clear about something, and I want to state it from my position as superintendent of the State Police: If you commit a crime in West Virginia, you will be found, you will be arrested, and you will face justice. We want you to be confident of that.”