MORGANTOWN – A handful of public speakers on Tuesday called on the city of Morgantown and Morgantown City Council to take a public stand against any Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity within the city.
In response, multiple members of council said that they support the sentiment, and are working individually as members of the community, but taking official action becomes legally complicated for the city.
“As Deputy Mayor [Brian] Butcher said, the state has made it incredibly difficult, but that doesn’t mean we have to be complacent,” Mayor Danielle Trumble said. “It’s a tough situation all around.”
Trumble and Butcher issued a joint statement on Jan. 12 offering solidarity with those impacted by immigration enforcement efforts and encouraging a reaffirmation “to unity, inclusivity, and the welcoming of a diverse community even whilst we face our darkest days in this nation.”
It was explained the statement was issued by the mayor and deputy mayor and not on behalf of Morgantown City Council.
Micalyn Antonacci called the effort “weak and pathetic.”
“Allow me to translate your letter into plain language that way it read to many of us. The city of Morgantown is here to help, but only after we let ICE screw you over. Super great sentiment, folks. That’s what you’re putting into the community,” Antonacci said. “What your letter should have been was nothing short of a full-throated condemnation of ICE. You’ll see on my shirt our state motto. Uphold it by doing better.”
During a presentation earlier in the meeting outlining Main Street Morgantown’s efforts in 2025, a representative of the agency said the city’s downtown has seen a substantial increase in events and overall activity.
“You want to see an 80% decrease? Jack-booted thugs asking people to see their papers is exactly how you do that. And that is what will happen,” Timothy McCollum told the council. “Simply not offering cooperation is no longer enough. The position that ICE has no place in Morgantown, that they are not welcome, and that their presence will not be tolerated must be clear. It must be spoken forth in one voice, and as the leaders of our city and our community, you cannot simply be part of that voice. You must be the face of that voice.”
Speakers asked elected officials to consider how its actions moving forward would be perceived by individuals who are fearful of being targeted by ICE, and what impact that would have on the community.
“We know who the targeted victims of this operation would be – blue-collar service and health care workers as well as international students and faculty of the university who contribute to the wider academic community and sustain WVU as a top research institution in the state,” Westover resident Torli Bush said. “ICE’s actions elsewhere in the country have been unpredictable and dangerous, and here they could very well disrupt several ways both immigrants and citizens of color contribute to the economy and sustainability of Morgantown — one of the few places in our state that’s still experiencing growth.”
In August, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced agreements with ICE enabling designated local officers with the West Virginia State Police, West Virginia National Guard and West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation to perform certain immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight.
Paige Rearing said that while ICE hasn’t yet focused its efforts in Morgantown, that day is very likely near.
“We do not want immigration and custom enforcement operatives in our city, and we ask that every public servant, from council to clerk to police, make our city as inhospitable to these ICE agents as possible,” Rearing said, adding, “And I presume we will see ICE in our streets very soon.”
Nick Szorcinski agreed.
“I can’t believe it’s come to this,” he said. “And I can’t believe that there even has to be a conversation about whether we’re going to cooperate with this or not.”
