Upshur County Sheriff welcomes ICE training with new ‘Task Force’

Upshur County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement on ICE Task Force operations.
Through participation in the 287G Program, agencies receive training and funding in exchange for accepting ICE delegation of immigration enforcement actions. According to program documentation, local personnel act on ICE orders here and can be assigned to task forces elsewhere.
Gladewater Police Chief Kyle Ready confirmed Dec. 10 his department has received information about the 287(g) program. Council members have not yet been briefed – details will be presented to the elected officials at a future session, as soon as January or early 2026.
In an extensive release Dec. 9, Upshur County Sheriff Larry Webb outlined various benefits, training requirements and functions of the program.
“The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and well-being of every citizen in our community,” Webb wrote. “We will continue to use every resource available to identify criminal activity within our county and to bring those responsible before the proper courts to answer for their actions.”
The sheriff’s press release is a lengthy read, citing a myriad of federal codes that, through the Memorandum of Agreement with ICE, empower trained local personnel to interrogate, arrest, charge, detain, keep and transport “any alien or person believed to be an alien as to his right to be or remain in the United States.”
Read the Dec. 9 release in full: UCSO 287G Press Release