Three West Virginia jails holding country’s ICE detainees are overcapacity, new data shows

by Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
October 9, 2025

Three West Virginia jails holding some of the country’s immigrant detainees are over capacity.

Data from the state’s corrections division — shared Tuesday with state lawmakers — showed Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville had 388 inmates, though the facility has the capacity for 289.

South Central Region Jail in Charleston had 516 inmates with a maximum capacity for 460. Eastern Regional Jail in Martinsburg has 478 inmates with an intended capacity for 448. 

The jails are holding immigrants detained from around the country due to the state’s contract with the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement during President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. ICE pays West Virginia $90 for each day it holds a detainee. 

The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation has made 48 beds available to ICE. The state had 75 immigrant detainees in its jails as of Wednesday, according to corrections officials. 

“WV DCR facilities operate at varying population levels, and from time to time, we adapt housing arrangements to meet demand while maintaining full compliance with state and federal health and safety standards,” DCR Commissioner David Kelly said in an email.

Not all ICE detainees are from West Virginia. A spokesperson for DCR said they could end up in West Virginia jails “due to the way people flow through the correctional system, and how and where they are apprehended.”

The immigrant detainee may have been placed in custody by ICE for possible deportation or an individual may have been transferred from another state pending transport to another location or deportation. The detainee may complete a sentence in a federal institution and is being held pending transfer.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who ordered state police and corrections officials to support Trump’s immigration policies, did not return a request for comment about the overcrowding issue. 

Kelly appeared before some lawmakers earlier this week at the state Capitol, discussing ongoing issues with jails overcrowding. The system is more than 600 inmates over capacity.

North Central Regional Jail is more than 46% over capacity, prompting concerns about whether the state needs to build a new correctional facility. The jail, located in Doddridge County, currently houses 825 inmates — 261 more than its capacity of 564.

Del. Hollis Lewis, D-Kanawha, raised concerns to Kelly about the ICE detainees in the jails given the overcrowding issue.

“I think the primary concern is when you have jails that are filled to capacity or over capacity, how can we provide adequate services? I am also concerned about safety when you are stacking individuals in that environment,” he said Wednesday when reached by phone. 

In the last decade, West Virginia’s jails were the deadliest in the country. Overcrowding problems have persisted for years along with ongoing staffing shortages.

Hollis also noted that ICE detainees are federal inmates and under a different jurisdiction than state inmates. “These inmates are still in limbo about their specific rights,” he said.

From June 2024 to July of this year, the state billed ICE for a total of $339,615 for holding immigrant detainees in its custody, according to DCR.

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