ICE in KC: A City Divided

10 February 2026

KANSAS CITY, MO — Local officials are racing to block federal plans for a “mega” immigration detention center after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents were spotted scouting a south Kansas City warehouse on Thursday morning.

The site at 14901 Botts Road, a nearly 1-million-square-foot facility, is reportedly being considered for a detention hub housing between 7,500 and 10,000 beds. Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca IV, who confronted agents at the scene, described the plan as an “atrocity” that would have a “dramatic regional impact.”

The City’s Response

Hours after the tour, the Kansas City Council voted 12-1 to pass an emergency moratorium. The measure effectively freezes all permits and zoning approvals for nonmunicipal detention facilities until January 15, 2031.

Mayor Quinton Lucas stated the city is prepared to defend the ban in court, emphasizing that the city’s future lies in “housing and jobs, not gigantic jails.” However, Councilmember Nathan Willett, the lone dissenting vote, warned that the move likely violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which gives federal law precedence over local zoning.

A National Strategy

The Kansas City site is believed to be one of seven massive warehouses the Trump administration plans to renovate nationwide. According to reports, these facilities would serve as a “feeder system” to process and stage thousands of immigrants for rapid deportation.

Key Points of Conflict:

• The Owner: Port KC currently holds the title due to tax incentives, but private developers Platform Ventures control the site.
• Federal Contracts: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II has demanded answers regarding a $29.9 million no-bid contract recently awarded for the development of these “mega centers.”
• Public Outcry: Activists from the KC Handmaid Army have already launched protests at the warehouse, while Councilmember Johnathan Duncan vowed to pressure the building’s owners not to “sell out the community.”

While the moratorium creates a significant legal hurdle, it remains unclear if local zoning laws can ultimately stop the federal government from establishing the facility.