West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey made an announcement on Tuesday stating that approximately sixty individuals were apprehended within twenty-four hours of implementing collaboration between Charleston and federal immigration authorities.
As of Tuesday noon, the Regional Jail system in the Mountain State had detained 58 individuals for the purpose of verifying their immigration status.
According to Morrisey, there will most likely be additional detentions in the near future. He emphasized his unwavering support for President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.
Morrisey, a Republican, pledged to provide an additional update on his administration’s operations this Thursday. He emphasized that West Virginia has a compelling reason to take all necessary measures to combat the crisis, irrespective of the fact that these individuals are allegedly in the country illegally.
West Virginia is at the forefront of the nation’s drug overdose deaths-per-capita, with illegal immigration and cartel smuggling being identified as major contributing factors to this crisis, according to Morrisey.
“To be clear, our numbers may be lower than others in terms of illegal immigrants… but I’ve repeatedly talked about the impact of having illegal immigrants [who] bring deadly fentanyl into the state — that’s flooding in from Mexico [with] raw ingredients coming from China.”
In 2023, the number of drug overdose deaths in West Virginia, as recorded by the Department of Health & Human Resources, was 1,389, which is a slight decrease from the peak of 1,537 in 2021. It is worth noting that back in 2001, there were only 212 drug-related deaths among the state’s estimated 1.75 million population.
“You can expect a Morrisey administration to be highly cooperative with the Trump administration… This is crucial for the well-being of West Virginia, as we must put an end to these tragic and unnecessary fatalities,” expressed the governor.
Morrisey expressed his admiration for Trump and commended the actions of the White House, stating that they are “absolutely correct.”
“We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens and collaborating with the Trump Administration to combat illegal immigration,” Morrisey expressed in a separate statement given to Fox News Digital.
Other state officials praised the move.
State Del. Wayne Clark, R-Charles Town, expressed his satisfaction with the positive strides made in addressing both the issue of illegal immigration and the state’s ongoing battle against drug abuse. He considered it a significant step forward in tackling these pressing concerns.
According to Huntington Police Chief Phil Watkins, his officers offered assistance during recent ICE operations in West Virginia’s second-largest city.
“We always strive to assist any law enforcement partners who request our help,” he informed Wheeling’s CBS affiliate.
According to a statement from the Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, they are currently holding suspected illegal immigrant criminals in their facilities. This action has been prompted by federal agencies like ICE and the FBI.