Missouri National Guard to help ICE with statewide deportations, governor says

Kacen Bayless, The Kansas City Star on Sep 30, 2025

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Tuesday authorized the state’s National Guard to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, plunging Missouri into national mass deportation efforts led by the Trump administration.

Kehoe, a Republican, said in an announcement Tuesday morning that Missouri National Guard troopers would assist ICE with “administrative, clerical and logistical duties” at ICE processing facilities in Missouri.

“Public safety, keeping Missourians safe, and upholding the rule of law is our administration’s top priority,” Kehoe said in a statement. “Missouri is proud to join in the Trump administration’s efforts to keep our state and nation secure.”

The move follows similar efforts in nearly 20 other Republican-led states as the Trump administration ramps up sweeping deportations and a purported crackdown on illegal immigration across the country.

Kehoe’s announcement came after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security requested additional resources to “effectively enforce immigration laws and maintain operational control of the border,” the Republican governor said.

Missouri will provide ICE with a year of assistance, starting on Wednesday and ending on Sept. 30, 2026. Kehoe’s office did not clarify where, exactly, National Guard troopers would assist ICE in Missouri.

Tuesday’s announcement comes as the first-year governor has tried to align himself more closely with the Trump administration in recent months. Over the weekend, Kehoe signed into law a new gerrymandered congressional map under pressure from President Donald Trump.

In addition to states helping ICE, the Republican president has also threatened to send troops to Democratic-leaning cities as part of a stated attempt to crack down on crime.

Lawmakers from the Kansas City region, which is more diverse and politically progressive than other parts of Missouri, have previously expressed fear that the city could be next.

Crime in Kansas City has long been a key talking point for Kehoe and other Missouri Republicans.

Homicide numbers in Kansas City have been consistently high over the past nine years though there were dips in 2018, 2021 and 2024, according to annual reports for the Kansas City Police Department and numbers The Star tracks.

When asked on Tuesday about the possibility of National Guard troops coming to Kansas City, Kehoe’s office said there were no current plans. However, his office added that he would keep his options open.

“Governor Kehoe appreciates President Trump’s efforts to clean up cities like Washington, D.C. and Memphis and share his goal of creating safer, more prosperous communities,” said Kehoe spokesperson Gabby Picard.