By Ashley Perham, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s only U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center has moved from Charleston to Poca.
Why move?
The processing center has been in Charleston for about 15 years at the former Daniel Boone Hotel on Capitol Street. It was never big enough, and the office was only supposed to be in the building for one to three years, said Cammilla Wamsley, Philadelphia field office director for the Enforcement and Removal Operations unit of ICE.
The new building in Poca was built with ICE specifications in mind such as security features, holding cells, office space and a conference room.
Around 15 ICE staff members moved into the new office in February.
What happens there?
Last year, 200 foreign citizens were arrested and processed at the Charleston center. Arrestees could be in the country legally or illegally.
Most have been arrested by local law enforcement for crimes that ICE determines to be threats to public safety, threats to national security or border security violations, according to Joe Gigliotti, assistant Philadelphia field office director.
