BAM! 650 Arrests in West Virginia’s ICE Blitz

White immigration enforcement van parked by roadside

West Virginia just proved that immigration enforcement doesn’t have to look like chaos to deliver big numbers.

Story Snapshot

ICE’s “Operation Country Roads” ran January 5–19, 2026 and produced more than 650 arrests statewide, with results announced January 31.
Fourteen federal, state, and local partners worked together under the 287(g) program, sending teams into multiple West Virginia cities.
Officials highlighted public-safety and national-security priorities, citing cases such as a prior removal order and a child endangerment conviction.
West Virginia leaders credited clear direction from the governor and tight operational discipline for accuracy and speed.
Protests were discussed after the operation, but reports described no protest disruptions during the two-week surge itself.

Operation Country Roads: A two-week surge built for volume and control

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations out of Philadelphia coordinated “Operation Country Roads” from January 5 through January 19, 2026, deploying teams to Charleston, Martinsburg, Beckley, Moorefield, Morgantown, and Huntington. The public tally landed at over 650 arrests statewide, with some reports describing the figure as more than 600, a difference that reads like rounding rather than contradiction. The point was scale, achieved through planning and manpower.

The operation leaned on a straightforward formula: pair federal immigration authority with local familiarity. ICE described the targets as people in the country illegally, including individuals it labeled public safety or national security risks. That focus matters because it shapes public perception; voters tolerate enforcement most when it looks like risk reduction rather than a numbers game. The featured arrests, including a prior removal order and a child endangerment conviction, reinforced that theme.

The 287(g) engine: Why the state’s cooperation mattered more than speeches

West Virginia’s heavy lift came through the 287(g) program, a federal framework that allows ICE to delegate certain immigration enforcement functions to trained state and local officers under formal agreements. Governor Patrick Morrisey signed a memorandum of agreement in August 2025, and after his inauguration he issued an executive order directing state law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration efforts. Structure beats improvisation in law enforcement, and this structure scaled fast.

Participants included the West Virginia State Police, the National Guard, the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and multiple sheriff’s offices and municipal departments across counties such as Cabell, Fayette, McDowell, Nicholas, Putnam, and Wood. That list signals something readers often miss: this wasn’t just a federal “raid.” It was a coordinated statewide staffing model, where local agencies provided operational reach while ICE supplied immigration authority and processing pathways.

The difference between “helping ICE” and doing it cleanly

State Police Superintendent Col. Jim Mitchell told lawmakers the state police had assisted in 250 ICE arrests since September 2025 without errors in apprehensions. Whether a skeptic agrees with the policy or not, that claim highlights the operational risk most agencies fear: stopping the wrong person. Conservative common sense says enforcement must respect lawful residents and citizens, period. Training, documented procedures, and cross-checking identities become the real civil-rights safeguard in practice.

Law enforcement leaders also framed the operation as professional and methodical. Jefferson County Sheriff Tom Hansen praised the ICE agents he worked alongside as a high-caliber group, a compliment that points to a deeper dynamic: local departments protect their own reputations fiercely. When sheriffs publicly endorse a federal partnership, they signal they believe the operation stayed within lanes the community expects—focused on violations, orderly custody, and minimal disruption.

Why West Virginia saw results without street drama during the surge

Reports described no protests during the two-week operation, even as protests were discussed around the time of the January 31 announcements and into early February. That gap matters because public disorder can become the headline, drowning out the facts of who was arrested and why. West Virginia’s rural geography and smaller protest infrastructure may play a role, but leadership and timing matter too: coordinated operations move quickly and avoid telegraphing exact targets.

U.S. Attorney Moore Capito said West Virginia led the nation in ICE arrests on multiple days during the surge. That’s a striking line for a small state with a relatively low immigrant population. It suggests the operation did not depend on sweeping through dense neighborhoods; it depended on targeted coordination, jail and traffic-stop touchpoints, and a pipeline for processing. When systems line up, the numbers follow, even in places people assume are off the map.

The policy fight ahead: Public safety claims versus constitutional skepticism

One critical report raised questions about constitutional limits and referenced court skepticism toward ICE tactics more broadly, a reminder that operational success doesn’t end the argument. The strongest pro-enforcement case stays rooted in due process: lawful stops, verified identities, documented custody transfers, and transparency after the fact. The weakest case relies on slogans. West Virginia’s officials tried to keep the story on measurable outcomes and interagency discipline.

ICE arrests over 650 illegal aliens across West Virginia with state, local police backing https://t.co/wQ3BMi6Oil #FoxNews

— John (@jdmcnamara) February 2, 2026

The longer-term question is whether this model becomes routine or remains a one-off surge tied to political will. Conservatives typically favor clear rules, sovereignty, and public order, but they also expect government competence. If West Virginia sustains 287(g) training and maintains a record of accurate apprehensions, other states will copy the playbook. If mistakes pile up, critics will use them to choke off cooperation, one lawsuit at a time.