Section 287(g) (INA §287(g)) authorizes DHS/ICE to enter memorandums of agreement (MOAs) with state, local and tribal law‑enforcement agencies to designate officers who—after ICE vetting and training—may perform specified federal immigration‑enforcement functions under ICE direction and supervision (e.g., jail screening and processing of removable noncitizens, initiating immigration arrests, serving administrative warrants). The delegated authority is limited to the functions written in the MOA and exercised under ICE oversight.
DHS announced (effective Oct. 1, 2025) a reimbursement program for agencies with signed 287(g) MOAs: ICE will fully reimburse participating agencies for the annual salary and benefits of each eligible trained 287(g) officer (and cover up to 25% overtime), and will provide quarterly performance awards tied to ICE metrics. Eligibility requires a law‑enforcement agency to have a signed 287(g) MOA and nominated officers who meet ICE vetting and training requirements.
A “final order of removal” is an adjudication that becomes final when the Board of Immigration Appeals dismisses an appeal, the alien waives appeal, the appeal window expires, or a court affirms the order (8 C.F.R. §1241.1). A final order gives ICE legal authority to remove the person (ICE normally begins a 90‑day removal period), but it does not guarantee immediate deportation—removal can be delayed or prevented by stays, motions to reopen, lack of travel documents, foreign government refusals, or ICE priorities/resources.
The DHS release names several individuals and explicitly states convictions or final orders for those named; those specific descriptions indicate convictions or final removal orders. DHS’s headline figure ("over 650" arrested) and its summary claim that the group “included drug traffickers, violent offenders, and burglars” do not provide case‑by‑case documentation in the release. The release does not show how many of the 650 were arrested based solely on immigration violations versus on criminal convictions or active criminal charges, so the larger group’s conviction status cannot be fully confirmed from the release alone.
DHS’s February 9, 2026 release does not include a numerical breakdown of the over‑650 arrests by offense type. ICE routinely publishes 287(g) encounter reports that can show categories (e.g., criminal convictions vs. administrative/immigration encounters), but the DHS news release itself provides no verified count separating violent or drug‑related convictions from immigration‑only arrests for this operation.
The DHS release says the operation was conducted “in coordination with cooperative local and state authorities” under the 287(g) program but does not list the specific West Virginia agencies or the exact MOA model(s) used. ICE’s public 287(g) participating‑agencies list and MOA templates (on ICE.gov) identify local agencies that sign MOAs (Jail Enforcement, Task Force, Warrant Service Officer, Tribal Task Force models); to confirm which West Virginia agencies participated and which MOA(s) applied you must consult ICE’s 287(g) participating‑agencies list or the local sheriff/police departments’ public statements or MOAs.