Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The Clinton administration once used Matthew Morrison’s U.S. immigration case to help solidify peace in Northern Ireland. Decades after moving to St. Louis to find safety and build a family, Morrison is now fleeing this country out of fear.

The leader of UnidosUS has decried the humanitarian and economic damage of the Trump administration’s immigration raids.

The immigrant-supporting group Advocates for Immigration Rights and Reconciliation confirmed Thursday night that at least three of the up to 12 people detained in raids the day before had been released.

An immigration advocacy group says the raids were carried out by Homeland Security Investigation agents about midday on Wednesday at El Toro Loco restaurants in Lenexa and Kansas City, Kansas.

President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has many recent immigrants terrified, hunkering down and holding onto their money. That new fear and frugality is crushing small, mom-and-pop businesses in some immigrant-heavy business corridors, like Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, just as new tariffs are raising the prices of many products that recent immigrants buy.

The family says returning to Guatemala isn't an option — even if they're forced to. "We haven't left to go anywhere," the father said. "We can't because of fear."

The Trump administration’s budget bill authorizes $45 billion for more detention centers like the one CoreCivic plans in Leavenworth, Kansas. Groups around Kansas City have organized demonstrations against the ICE facility.

Many Latino- and immigrant-owned businesses are struggling to make ends meet as a result of decreased foot traffic along Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. Many reports that sales are down between 30 to 60%, and a community leader says the losses are driven by fears of ICE raids and the impact of President Trump's tariffs.

President Trump's mass deportation efforts have led to the arrests of tens of thousands of immigrants, some of whom end up at the Phelps County Jail in Rolla, Missouri. Now some local activists are trying to provide comfort and assistance to detainees stuck in an unfamiliar place.

Immigrants, including unaccompanied children, have little legal options once they're targeted for deportation — and no universal right to a government-appointed attorney. Kansas City's immigration court currently has a backlog of more than 52,000 cases.

As the Phelps County Jail in Rolla, Missouri, gets used as an ICE holding facility, a group of 50 activists known as Abide in Love are helping immigrant detainees contact their families and provide small acts of comfort and kindness.

The Trump administration wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to raid worksites in the agriculture and hospitality industries, despite an initial reprieve this month. Experts say the policy could hurt businesses that rely on immigrant workers.