This is how it’s done.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested more than 650 illegal aliens across West Virginia in a two-week statewide enforcement surge carried out with local and state law enforcement partners, federal officials said.
ICE said the operation ran Jan. 5 through Jan. 19 and deployed teams to Charleston, Martinsburg, Beckley, Moorefield, Morgantown, and Huntington, with 14 federal, state, and local partners participating.
Officials said the arrests included people ICE described as threats to public safety and national security, along with other individuals who entered the U.S. illegally.
“This operation demonstrates how strong partnerships between ICE and West Virginia law enforcement agencies enhance public safety and the integrity of our immigration system,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Michael Rose said. “By training and supporting our… partners across the state, we’ve expanded local capacity to identify, arrest and process illegal aliens while ensuring these authorities are exercised professionally and consistent with the law.”
ICE highlighted Operation ICE Wall, a targeted initiative focused on illegal aliens operating commercial vehicles. One arrest cited by officials was Sagar Singh, a citizen of India, who was stopped Jan. 8 after failing to stop at a mandatory brake check station and was cited for multiple vehicle infractions, including operating an unsafe commercial vehicle. ICE said Singh had previously been ordered removed and was among more than 25 arrests under Operation ICE Wall during the surge.
Another arrest cited by officials was Ling Yan, a citizen of China also known as Yang Ning, previously convicted in Ohio of two counts of endangering the welfare of children, ICE said. Officials also said the operation included arrests of a convicted child sex abuser and other offenders.
Local leaders involved in the operation pointed to the collaboration as a force multiplier. “The Sheriff’s Office was impressed with the professionalism and work ethic of the agents and how well they interacted with the citizens and local law enforcement officers,” Jefferson County Sheriff Tom Hansen said. “Working with such a high-caliber group of agents who were assigned to Jefferson County made the decision to support the initiative worthwhile.
“We are also gratified that through this program, we have had the opportunity to remove numerous dangerous criminals from our community,” he added.
ICE and West Virginia officials have pointed to the state’s expansion of 287(g) partnerships—formal agreements that allow trained local law enforcement to perform certain immigration enforcement functions under ICE supervision—as a backbone for cooperation like this surge.
More over at The New York Post:
ICE arrests over 650 illegal aliens across West Virginia with state, local police backing https://t.co/rLA9hPRwen pic.twitter.com/aJ4CRjnR0j
— New York Post (@nypost) February 2, 2026
