What can you do if you see ICE in Kansas City? There is a number to call
A viral arrest in Grandview, reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is considering opening a detention center in south Kansas City, and a large number of marked ICE vehicles spotted in a Northland parking lot in the past week have thrust the Kansas City area into a national fight over the deployment of federal officers to American cities.
Missouri Rep. Anthony Ealy, a Grandview Democrat, called on his neighbors to take videos of their interactions with federal immigration officers amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
“If you see ICE activity in your area – Record video,” Ealy said on social media. “Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not allowed to record, because that’s your constitutional right.”
Other community organizations are urging people who are concerned about immigration authorities to call a hotline to alert them of any ICE activity spotted.
Posts shared on social media by advocacy and education organizations Revolución Educativa, Northland Forward and Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation alert residents of a Community Watch Line, where people can call 913-999-2398 to report ICE sightings anonymously.
RevEd said in a social media post that it’s vital to understand best practices on reporting and safety information, as an influx of information that’s not vetted can cause confusion and panic in communities around the KC area.
The organization says callers should include the following information when they call:
- How many potential ICE officers were spotted
- The exact location
- What officers were wearing and driving
- The time and date when they were spotted
- If officers were armed
What should bystanders do if they encounter ICE?
Both bystanders and targets of ICE have the right to record activity and interactions with immigration and law enforcement officers, so long as they do not impede them from doing their job, immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford said to The Star in November 2025.
She said onlookers should record a video but think twice before posting it.
If officers are acting unlawfully, then posting a video of ICE interactions may be useful. But if the bystander doesn’t know exactly what is happening, it could just spread fear, she said.
Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation shared these tips for recording incidents:
- Record the entirety of the incident, and narrate your experience.
- State the date and time while recording.
- Document any officer identification, like their agency, badge, numbers, uniform, name.
- Find the specific address.
- Capture any language used by the officers.
- Note any cars and the license plates and agencies if marked.
- Describe any physical force used.
The Star’s Eleanor Nash contributed to this report
