CHARLESTON, WV – A new report from the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia says state officials misrepresented a winter immigration crackdown that led to hundreds of arrests across the state. The group said about three-quarters of the people arrested during the 15-day effort known as Operation Country Roads had no criminal record. It also said the data did not support claims that the operation focused on the most serious offenders. The report drew on federal immigration arrest records and state detention data.
What The Report Found
The ACLU of West Virginia said its analysis showed 0 detentions for sexual assault or any crime involving children during the operation. It also said there were only two arrests in West Virginia for drug possession, and both were misdemeanors. Executive Director Eli Baumwell said the records show the operation looked very different from the way it was presented publicly. The report said the crackdown resulted in arrests of many people without criminal histories, challenging the narrative that it targeted dangerous individuals.
Claims About Public Safety
According to the report, state and federal officials described the enforcement action as one that removed dangerous immigrants from West Virginia communities and made the state safer for families. The ACLU said those claims were not backed up by the arrest data. It argued that the operation primarily affected people who did not have prior criminal records. The group said the mismatch between the public statements and the records was central to its criticism. The report was framed as an analysis of how the crackdown was described versus what the numbers actually showed.
Arrest Totals And Records
The report said state officials inflated the total number of arrests by about 30%, claiming 622 people were arrested when records indicated 573. Of the arrests the ACLU counted, 75% were people who had no criminal record, according to its findings. The group also said the average Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee in a West Virginia jail is far less likely to have a criminal history than before the operation began. It cited detention and arrest records from January 2022 through March 10, 2026 in its broader review of ICE activity in the state.
Court Actions And Detention
The report said federal judges have ordered the release of four immigrants who were wrongly jailed over immigration detainers. It also noted that the state jail system later suspended acceptance of immigrant detainees. At one point during Operation Country Roads, 433 people were reportedly crowded into West Virginia jails under ICE detainers, which the report said was seven times the state’s 62-bed cap. The ACLU said many people were held without criminal records and without due process while awaiting immigration proceedings. The organization said the findings should change how the operation is understood.
