Bryan Stalder
Contributor

Jackson County Legislature Chair Manny Abarca announced plans on Tuesday, January 27 to advance new legislation aimed at limiting the expansion of private detention facilities, positioning the county as part of a growing local response to federal immigration enforcement activity that has drawn heightened attention across the Midwest.

At the Jackson County Legislature’s next meeting on Feb. 2, Abarca plans to introduce Ordinance No. 6061, which would establish a five-year moratorium on county approvals — including zoning, permitting, and development — for privately owned detention facilities not operated by the county or a municipality. The moratorium would remain in effect through Jan. 15, 2031, effectively blocking any local approvals tied to new or expanded private detention infrastructure.

The proposal comes amid ongoing speculation about federal interest in placing a large U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in the South Kansas City area.

“Jackson County should not be complicit in building the infrastructure for enforcement operations that are routinely violating due process and constitutional rights,” Abarca said in a press release announcing the ordinance.

Federal authorities have not publicly confirmed plans for a detention facility of that size in Jackson County, though multiple reports indicate the South Kansas City site has already been sold and may be intended for federal detention use. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not publicly commented on those reports as of publication.

On Jan. 15, Abarca publicly described a confrontation with federal law enforcement in a social media post accompanied by video footage. In the post, Abarca said he had been informed that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security were touring a potential “mega detention facility” in South Kansas City and decided to observe the site.

According to Abarca’s account, federal agents surrounded his vehicle, threatened him with arrest for trespassing, and blocked his exit while he remained inside his truck with the doors locked. He said he refused to leave until speaking with a supervisor and claimed agents confirmed they were evaluating a facility capable of housing up to 7,500 detainees.

The video shows Abarca on what appears to be private property while federal officers order him to leave. At approximately the 45-second mark, an officer informs Abarca that he is trespassing. Abarca responds, “Who owns it? You’re not the owner.”

In the post, Abarca framed the encounter as a personal and political stand, writing:
“Local Electeds must step up, and engage. We cannot sit idly by and let things happen in our community.”

Abarca’s proposal follows similar action by the Kansas City, Missouri City Council, which approved a five-year moratorium on new or expanded non-municipal private detention facilities by a 12–1 vote on January 15, 2026. Both measures are intended to assert local control over detention infrastructure, though legal experts note that local ordinances may have limited effect on federal facilities. Under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, the federal government is generally not required to comply with local zoning or permitting regulations when establishing federal operations, a principle that has been reaffirmed in multiple federal court decisions. 

While much recent media attention has focused on large-scale immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, Missouri has experienced a higher per-capita rate of ICE arrests than Minnesota during comparable periods, according to analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative.

Locally, immigrant advocacy organizations report increased ICE activity throughout the Kansas City region in 2025 and early 2026. While comprehensive public data on individual incidents remains limited, community groups say enforcement actions have been reported across the metro, including in Northeast along Independence Avenue.

Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIRR), a Kansas City-based nonprofit, has been actively documenting and responding to reports of ICE activity. According to community reports verified by AIRR, immigration enforcement officers conducted a targeted arrest near San Antonio Market on Independence Avenue around 11:00 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 26.

AIRR and other organizers continue to encourage residents to document enforcement activity and familiarize themselves with their legal rights.

Ordinance No. 6061 is not Abarca’s first effort to address federal enforcement concerns at the local level. In December 2025, he introduced the “Renee Nicole Macklin Good Transparency and Accountability Ordinance,” which would prohibit law enforcement officers — including federal agents — from wearing masks while performing official duties, citing accountability concerns.

That proposal remains under review as of Jan. 27, with public hearings ongoing. Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forté has publicly opposed the measure, calling it “government overreach” and arguing that officer safety requires operational discretion.

Those concerns were underscored on Monday, January 26, when the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling in Minnesota that had restricted certain ICE enforcement tactics during protests. The decision freed federal agents from compliance with protest-related limitations imposed at the local level, reinforcing federal authority over immigration enforcement operations.

As the Feb. 2 county legislative meeting approaches, debate continues over how much authority local governments can exert in response to federal immigration enforcement — from operation of a detention facility to officer conduct.

Supporters of Abarca’s proposals argue that local action is necessary to protect community trust and civil liberties. For residents of Northeast and surrounding neighborhoods, the outcome may clarify how far local officials can go in attempting to shape the impact of federal enforcement activity already unfolding in the region.

Disclosure: Manny Abarca serves on the board of Historic Northeast Media, the nonprofit organization that operates The Northeast News. He had no involvement in the reporting, writing, editing, or editorial review of this article, and did not influence its publication in any way. The newsroom affirms its editorial independence from board members, officers, and donors.