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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill HB 5477 mandates 287(g) immigration agreements for all state law enforcement and jails
Last action · February 12, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsors: Bill Ridenour and 6 others
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 5477 requires all West Virginia state-supported law enforcement agencies and detention facilities to enter into formal 287(g) cooperation agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by April 1, 2026. The bill mandates that jails with 300 or more beds use the , establishes minimum information-sharing standards, and authorizes the withholding of state public-safety funds for noncompliant agencies.
Local law enforcement agencies and jails face the mandatory adoption of federal immigration duties and potential forfeiture of state public-safety funding if they fail to execute and maintain required ICE agreements within specified statutory timelines.
- The 287(g) program is a federal initiative under the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows state and local law enforcement agencies to enter into agreements with ICE to perform designated immigration enforcement functions. context
- House Bill 5477 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session of the West Virginia Legislature by lead sponsor Delegate Ridenour and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
State-supported law enforcement agencies
State police, sheriff's offices, municipal police departments, and jail operators must apply for and maintain 287(g) agreements, adopt information-sharing policies, submit semi-annual reports, and risk state funding forfeiture for noncompliance.
Detention facility operators
Operators of jails and holding centers must comply with specific 287(g) model requirements based on facility operational capacity, designate liaison officers, and ensure staff are trained and certified.
Attorney General
The Attorney General is tasked with receiving ICE denial documentation, conducting audits, receiving compliance reports, issuing deficiency notices, and initiating legal enforcement actions.
State Treasurer
The State Treasurer must receive ICE denial records, withhold and escrow state public-safety funds from noncompliant agencies, and establish administrative hearing procedures.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which law enforcement agencies and facilities are covered by HB 5477?
What happens if a detention facility with 300 or more beds cannot get the Jail Enforcement Model from ICE?
What are the financial penalties for noncompliance with the immigration enforcement requirements?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 12, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Feb 12, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Feb 12, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 12, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory 287(g) Adoption and Funding Conditioning
HB 5477 shifts state policy from permissive cooperation to a strict mandate requiring all state-supported law enforcement and qualifying jails to maintain active 287(g) agreements, backed by the withholding of state public-safety funds.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment15Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz65Current news / social attention level
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