Gov. Patrick Morrisey gave a press conference Wednesday at the Parkersburg Correctional Center to announce an agreement between the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation to work together in addressing illegal immigration and related crimes. Appearing with him were, left, Col. James Mitchell, Superintendent of the West Virginia State Police, and, right, Maj. Gen. James Seward, the Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — State law enforcement and corrections officials will be working with federal officials to address the issue of illegal immigrants throughout West Virginia.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey was at the Parkersburg Correctional Center on Wednesday to announce an agreement between the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation to work together in addressing illegal immigration and related crimes.

Morrisey said he has signed an executive order allowing state agencies to “fully cooperate” with ICE and federal law enforcement to deal with illegal immigration under the federal 287(g) program which allows local law enforcement agencies to enter into working agreements with ICE, receive related training and gives them the authority to perform immigration enforcement related operations.

“Our intent is to take any legal necessary action to protect our citizens,” Morrisey said. “We need to make sure we are stepping up in this area.”

The West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation have all signed memorandums of understanding with ICE to begin formal participation, Morrisey said.

Maj. Gen. James Seward, the Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, spoke at a press conference Wednesday in Parkersburg with Gov. Patrick Morrisey as well as officials with the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation and others about these state agencies entering an agreement to work with U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) to help enforce immigration laws in regards to people who are in the country illegally. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

“It is clear that these agencies are going to be putting the time in and (individual officers) are being trained (for 40 hours),” he said. “That is significant.”

Morrisey said these state officials would have the ability to interrogate any person believed to be an illegal alien as to their legal status on whether they can remain in the United States as well as for state and federal offenses.

“The local and state authorities will be working very closely with ICE in order to make a huge difference…and helping our citizens, quite frankly, feel safer in their communities,” he said. “That is what it is all about.

“We want people to know that West Virginia will protect its citizens and that West Virginia does feel the impact of illegal immigration.”

The state has had a number of illegal aliens detained in state correctional facilities, Morrisey said, adding there were around 60-70 on any given day.

Joe Gigliotti, Assistant Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), spoke at a press conference in Parkersburg on Wednesday with Gov. Patrick Morrisey and officials with the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation where these agencies will work with ICE in regards to helping enforce immigration laws. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday morning West Virginia had 88 illegal aliens in its custody; 13 illegal aliens in state prisons who were convicted of crimes and serving a sentence; 28 who have been arrested on local or federal charges with active ICE detainers (documents asking for suspects to be held for additional time to determine immigration status); and 46 who are being detained on immigration charges like failing to appear in court before a deportation judge for reentering the country after previously being deported, he said.

Officer training will begin soon.

Maj. Gen. James Seward, the Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, said the Guard has 175 certified law enforcement officers who will be going through the training to assist ICE where they are needed. The Guard’s role is limited to those officers receiving training and participating in ICE operations, he added.

“We will serve President (Donald) Trump and Gov. Morrisey within the bounds of the law and protect West Virginians,” Seward said.

Col. James Mitchell, Superintendent of the West Virginia State Police, said state police are dedicated to the citizens of the state.

“I believe we have one of the greatest states in the country,” he said. “This is another way some highly trained professional law enforcement officers in the State Police can assist in further protecting the citizens of our state.

“We are very excited about complete cooperation and collaboration with ICE and we hope this sends a message to people throughout West Virginia that if you are illegal and committing crimes that is not welcome here.”

David Kelly, Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said the agreement will allow them to serve warrants to illegal aliens in their custody.

“By preventing the premature release of potentially dangerous individuals we reduce the risk to our communities and we make use of our law enforcement resources,” Kelly said. “It is about being smart, efficient and pro-active.”

Joe Gigliotti, Assistant Field Office Director for ICE, said this program will allow these officers to enforce aspects of immigration law including being able to identify and process illegal aliens with pending criminal charges and enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during routine police duties in serving warrants to people in the state jails.

“ICE will train…officers on immigration law, multicultural communication and avoiding racial profiling,” he said, adding the officers will work with ICE to deport illegal aliens from the state.

Del. Dave Foggin, R-Wood, and State Sen. Mike Azinger, R-Wood, also attended the event and spoke about their support for the program.

“We are a nation of immigrants, but we want immigrants who love America and will fly the American flag and not the flag of the country of their birth,” Azinger said. “Let’s love America.”

Morrisey tied the state’s problems with many illegal drugs to illegal immigration. When he served as the state attorney general Morrisey said he was focused on the amount of fentanyl and illegal immigrants coming into the country which he referred to as the “Biden Border Disorder” during the administration of President Joe Biden.

“We had to deal with seemingly unlimited amounts of fentanyl flooding into our state and that was in part to what was happening in the absolute callous indifference to human life that we were seeing over that period,” he said. “It was definitely slaughtering our citizens and it still is to some degree.”

There were millions of people unlawfully entering the country and officials had no idea who they were or if they were a threat to the citizens of this country, Morrisey said.

“This was an assault on our sovereignty and the rule of law,” he said “It was an insult to those who have immigrated here the right way.”

As a result the governor said the state was flooded with “massive amounts” of fentanyl and other illicit drugs.

Morrisey credits Trump with taking steps to secure the border which in turn will help the state lower its substance abuse deaths.

He was asked about how these officers will operate.

“Everyone will follow the law,” he said. “They will be under the supervision of ICE in these activities.”

Morrisey said their people have not been asked to do anything unlawful. He has not heard anything about agents being directed to go into schools.

“There has been no issue raised to date,” Morrisey said, adding there could be a scenario that might happen, but it has not been raised with him.

He said there is a process to determine if someone is a citizen or if they are a lawful alien in the country. He has not seen any instances in the state of a citizen being detained on immigration charges.

“If it happens, we will take a look,” Morrisey said. “It has been a good working relationship and we haven’t seen some of the issues people have brought up in other states.”

A protest is being organized for Saturday in Moundsville from 2-4 p.m. at the corner of Lafayette Avenue and 12th Street to protest the detention of immigrants at Northern Regional Jail by ICE. The event is being organized by the West Virginia Mountain Party, West Virginia Fights Back, and Bluejay Rising.

Organizers said the event aims to send a clear message of solidarity to local immigrant populations and will feature a number of speakers who will emphasize the constitutional rights afforded to every person on United States soil and the need to protect immigrants, both undocumented and naturalized, according to a press release from the West Virginia Mountain Party.

Morrisey acknowledged it is the right of people in this country to be able to protest.

“We respect the First Amendment and they have the ability to go out and talk about any issue they want,” he said. “We are not going to be slowed down in terms of protecting our citizens from the ravages of fentanyl or from undocumented aliens streaming across the border.”

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com.