JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri National Guard members are being deployed to assist with President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
In an announcement Tuesday, Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe said soldiers will assist with administrative, clerical and logistical duties at Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facilities within the state.
The governor did not say how many troops will be involved in providing the assistance, which came in response to a request by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“Public safety, keeping Missourians safe, and upholding the rule of law is our administration’s top priority,” Kehoe said. “Missouri is proud to join in the Trump administration’s efforts to keep our state and nation secure.”
The decision comes as Trump and other GOP governors have raised alarm bells by sending state-level National Guard members into the midst of federal immigration raids being conducted across the nation.
Missouri Republicans have offered other kinds of assistance.
In a September letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said the Fort Leonard Wood military base near Waynesville would work well as a training site for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement police.
Missouri has ICE field offices in St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield. The St. Louis office oversees counties in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois.
The state does not have any ICE detention centers, but contracts with local counties to provide temporary holding facilities for detainees. Counties housing those arrested include Greene, Phelps and Ste. Genevieve.
State Rep. Ray Reed, a Brentwood Democrat, condemned Tuesday’s decision, calling it a stunt.
“Our Guard members represent the best of Missouri,” he said. “Time and again, they’ve answered the call during floods, tornadoes, and ice storms. They put their lives on the line to protect and serve their neighbors. That mission is honorable. It is essential. And it’s why we owe them more than stunts that take them away from the work they signed up to do.”
According to the governor’s office, National Guard members will provide support starting Wednesday. Personnel who have been assigned to the mission were selected on a volunteer basis, the office said.
In addition, Kehoe said the state will be compensated for the work by the federal government following a July decision by the Trump administration.
Military personnel are authorized to be on duty through September 30, 2026.
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Kurt Erickson | Post-Dispatch
Jefferson City reporter
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