Why are dozens of ICE vehicles in a KC lot near Worlds of Fun? What official said
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Authorities say no ICE enforcement operation is planned in Kansas City.
- Marked ICE vehicles were parked for decal work, not action.
- City officials probing DHS detention center reports.
The sight of dozens of Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles in a Northland parking lot this week sparked wide discussion online about a new action by federal officers in Kansas City.
But the vehicles have nothing to do with any planned enforcement locally, according to City Council member Johnathan Duncan.
Duncan said that marked United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles seen in a Kansas City parking lot located in the 9400 block of Northeast Parvin Road are not part of an operation. Instead, they are simply being worked on by a local company.
Duncan told The Star that when online chatter began circulating about the vehicles parked in a lot, he was immediately inundated with phone calls from constituents. Duncan said he reached out to other city officials to find out what was occurring.
“I got a call from our liaison soon, soon thereafter, who said that it is their understanding that there’s an automotive company that was contracted to decal those vehicles,” he said.
Duncan said those vehicles are not part of any imminent enforcement operation and they are scheduled to be transported elsewhere.
Holman Automotive reportedly held a contract to work on those vehicles. Company officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The lot where the vehicles were parked is a common staging area used by surrounding businesses, he said.
Duncan said that, given today’s political climate and the operations being carried out in cities such as Minneapolis, more due diligence needs to be done when situations like this arise to avoid rumor and hysteria.
Possible ICE facility
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reportedly plans to renovate industrial warehouse space in Kansas City to incarcerate thousands of immigrants arrested by federal authorities, according to The Washington Post.
That report identified Kansas City as one of seven sites where DHS is seeking to establish large-scale detention centers.
Kansas City’s Democratic congressman Emanuel Cleaver condemned the warehouse proposal as dehumanizing in a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
City officials told The Star that they are working to verify the reports of a local detention center.
“The Mayor’s Office is working to verify press reports of potential DHS or ICE detention facilities in Kansas City,” said Megan Strickland, city spokesperson for Mayor Quinton
Lucas. “The Mayor stands in agreement with the words of Congressman Emanuel Cleaver that such a facility would be a stain on Kansas City.”
DHS officials did not respond to requests for comment from The Star.
Duncan said that there was initially some worry that, due to how the city’s police department is controlled, they may be compelled to assist ICE in operations. But
There is no memorandum of understanding with ICE and there are no plans to work with ICE, he said.
“I feel comfortable and confident that we have a police force that, much like Minneapolis, we have a new police chief who is concerned about building trust within our community and knows full well the detrimental effects that cooperating with ICE will have on that trust,” Duncan said. “So when KCPD tells me they feel confident there’s not going to be a mass federal agency operation in Kansas City, I trust that.”
Star reporter Matthew Kelly contributed to this article.
This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 12:07 PM.