The Fight

Berkeley County, anchored by Martinsburg in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, is the state’s most populous county after Kanawha and home to its fastest-growing immigrant communities. The county sheriff is among the WV agencies operating under the 287(g) Task Force Model — the most expansive of the three 287(g) models, which authorizes deputized local officers to enforce immigration law during routine traffic stops and patrols, not just in jail bookings. Detainees are held at Eastern Regional Jail in Martinsburg, which was over capacity (478 inmates / 448 rated) in October 2025 while holding ICE detainees under the statewide DCR bed-rental contract.

Why It Matters

The Eastern Panhandle is the part of WV most integrated with the DC/Baltimore metro and has the state’s fastest-growing immigrant population. Combining a Task Force Model 287(g) agreement (enforcement during everyday policing) with an over-capacity ICE-holding jail makes Berkeley County a self-contained enforcement node — arrest, detain, and transfer all within the county — geographically and legally separate from the Charleston-centered habeas litigation that halted new intake statewide. Federal incentives for 287(g) agencies (officer bonuses, $7,500/officer equipment, $100,000/MOA vehicles) reinforce the local financial stake.

Sources

• WV Watch: Three WV jails holding country’s ICE detainees are overcapacity (Oct 9, 2025)
• WV MetroNews: Local law enforcement gets perks for partnerships with ICE (Feb 8, 2026)
• The Center Square: West Virginia law enforcement leading in ICE Task Force Model partnership
• Spirit of Jefferson: Three WV jails over capacity; list includes Eastern Regional in Martinsburg (Oct 2025)