Overview

Eastern Regional Jail in Martinsburg (Berkeley County) is one of three West Virginia regional jails flagged in October 2025 as over capacity while holding some of the highest ICE detainee counts in the country. It sits in the Eastern Panhandle, the WV region closest to the DC/Baltimore metro and home to the 287(g) Task Force Model participation by the Berkeley County Sheriff.

Key Details

• Rated capacity: 448
• Actual population: 478 (Oct 2025) — over capacity
• Contract: WV DCR bed-rental to ICE at $90/detainee/day
• 287(g) context: Berkeley County Sheriff participates in the 287(g) Task Force Model, feeding the enforcement pipeline in this region
• Status: Part of the WV system that suspended new ICE intake in late March 2026

Why It Matters

The Eastern Panhandle has the state’s fastest-growing immigrant population and the closest ties to East Coast metros. Eastern Regional Jail’s role as an ICE-holding facility, combined with Berkeley County’s 287(g) Task Force Model, makes Martinsburg a distinct enforcement node within the WV system, separate from the Charleston-centered litigation.

Sources

• WV Watch: Three WV jails holding country’s ICE detainees are overcapacity (Oct 9, 2025)
• Spirit of Jefferson: Three WV jails over capacity; list includes Eastern Regional in Martinsburg (Oct 2025)
• Governor Morrisey: Signed Agreements Between ICE and West Virginia Law Enforcement