ST. LOUIS – Missouri is experiencing one of the sharpest increases in immigration enforcement in the country, with activity nearly tripling compared to the end of the Biden administration.
More than 3,200 people have been taken into custody across the state since January 2025, according to new data from the Deportation Data Project.
Arrests in Missouri are approximately 2.7 times higher than they were just a year ago, leading local advocates in St. Louis to report that the impact is significantly affecting families.
Hundreds of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees are held in facilities statewide on any given day.
Jessica Mayo, co-director and attorney for the M.I.C.A. Project, highlighted the widespread consequences of this intensified enforcement.
“Even though we don’t see ice on the streets, the way they were in Minneapolis or Chicago or LA. That same destruction of families is happening here and it is really impacting our neighbors, the people we go to school with, the people we work with,” Mayo said. “And we all need to stand up and let our government know that we don’t support that and to support the immigrants, uh, in our community to make it a more welcoming place.”
Local advocates in St. Louis are observing this impact directly. The ASHREI Foundation reports receiving nearly 6,000 hotline calls and has provided support for more than 650 families, many of whom are dealing with detained loved ones.
Mayo stated that local police departments are a significant source of these detentions. “More than 80% of the people that we see through the St. Louis rapid response hotline are being turned over to ice by local Police Department,” Mayo said. She added that this occurs even with departments that do not have 287(g) agreements.
She further explained various ways people are encountering ICE. “We see many municipalities cooperating with ice and calling them even when it’s just someone who’s been driving without a license,” Mayo said. She also noted that routine check-ins with immigration officials, which individuals have often attended for years to update their status, are now frequently leading to detention.
Federal officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security maintain that these enforcement efforts are focused on public safety, highlighting recent arrests of violent offenders and expanded operations. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also points to initiatives like its VOICE office, which supports victims of crimes tied to immigration. However, advocates argue and data shows, that about 20% of those arrested in Missouri by ICE have no criminal charges or convictions. More than 60 local agencies are working with ICE statewide.
For individuals or families affected by detention, the St. Louis Rapid Response Hotline is available daily at (314) 370-7080. The hotline helps families locate loved ones and understand their legal options.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.
