100 signatures reached
To: Greene County Commissioners
End Greene County’s Contract with ICE: Stop the Detention of Immigrants in Our Local Jail
We the people call on the Missouri Greene County Commissioners and Sheriff’s Office to:
- Immediately terminate any existing agreements with ICE for the housing or detention of immigrant detainees in Greene County Jails;
- Cease all future collaboration with ICE that involves the use of county jail space or law enforcement personnel; and
- Commit to policies that protect, rather than endanger, the rights and dignity of all residents regardless of immigration status.
We urge our elected officials to uphold the values of justice, compassion, and responsible governance. Ending Greene County’s cooperation with ICE is a critical step toward making our county a safer, fairer, and more inclusive place for everyone.
Why is this important?
We, the undersigned residents, advocates, and community members, urge the Greene County Sheriff’s Office to immediately terminate its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In October 2024, Greene County quietly amended its existing jail contract to allow ICE to detain immigrants in the local jail. By January 2025, Sheriff Jim Arnott confirmed a formal agreement permitting the detention of up to 300 individuals on ICE’s behalf, with the county receiving over $100 per person, per day.
Missouri has no federal ICE detention centers, yet local jails—including Greene County’s—are filling that role with minimal transparency or public oversight.
Although ICE may detain individuals with criminal histories, a significant number are brought into custody for civil immigration matters—such as visa overstays, missed court dates, or pending asylum cases. According to federal data, more than 70% of ICE detainees currently held nationwide have no criminal convictions (source).
Compounding the lack of transparency, the Greene County Jail’s public roster does not indicate the charges or legal basis for detention. Individuals held for ICE are listed only as arrested by “ICE,” with no additional public information provided about why they are being detained. This practice leaves the public in the dark and raises serious concerns about accountability, due process, and unjust incarceration.
This contract effectively turns our local jail into a federal detention site—profiting from immigrant detention while undermining community safety, trust, and dignity