JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Missouri today condemned Governor Mike Kehoe's authorization of Missouri National Guard troops to provide administrative, clerical and logistical support at ICE processing facilities in Missouri. Gov. Kehoe’s move comes in response to a request for assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the Department of Defense.
"Despite denying the deployment of troops in Missouri just days ago, Governor Kehoe's announcement threatens people and businesses across the state and ignores the needs of the St. Louis community that is still in the midst of clean up from a devastating tornado,” said Luz María Henríquez, executive director at the ACLU of Missouri. “The Governor failed to provide basic information, including an order defining the parameters and objective, to prepare Missourians for this unprecedented act. With the backdrop of masked immigration agents breaking apart our families and communities, it is particularly concerning that the Governor is asking Guard members to voluntarily participate in this agenda. At the same time, he is failing to provide resources to the communities impacted by a natural disaster. These politicized actions embolden the administration in D.C. – they do not protect communities in Missouri."
According to a news release issued by Gov. Kehoe’s office, Missouri National Guard members will assist with tasks such as data entry, case management and logistical support. They are authorized to provide ICE support until September 30, 2026.
Governor Kehoe’s authorization comes just hours after Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landy requested 1,000 National Guard troops to assist with law enforcement. Already, the Trump administration has deployed armed federal agents and National Guard troops to Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Memphis, and Portland under false and inflammatory justifications and to crackdown on protesters exercising their First Amendment rights. To date, the use of the military and the National Guard for immigration-related purposes has been limited to border operations, such as wall construction, and monitoring, detection, and logistical support for civilian agencies.
“National Guard troops should be reserved for genuine emergencies, not deployed to suit the president’s political whims,” said Naureen Shah, director of policy and government affairs for the ACLU’s Equality Division. “Deploying state National Guard troops to further the Trump administration's deportation of our loved ones and neighbors is a waste of taxpayer resources that will harm entire communities.”