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On Wednesday, city and county leaders told KSHB 41 that they had no confirmation that a mega U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center would come to Kansas City.
But on Thursday morning, it became clearer. ICE agents and officials with the Department of Homeland Security were at an empty warehouse.
The building is near the intersection of E. 149th Street and Botts Road. It's listed on Google as the I-49 Industrial Building 7.
KSHB 41 spotted men in ICE uniforms standing outside.
"They are national, regional, local teams that are looking to open an ICE facility," Jackson County Legislature Chairman Manny Abarca told KSHB 41's Sarah Plake. "Something that will have a regional impact that's pretty dramatic."
Abarca knows that because he said the ICE agents came up to his car, telling him he wasn't allowed to be on the property.
He recorded the interaction on his phone and posted the video to his X page.
Folks, I shared the below video in nearly the moments it happened:
— Manny Abarca (@MannyAbarcaIV) January 15, 2026
I was informed that ICE/DHS was touring a potential “mega detention facility” in south #KansasCity and decided to stop by.
As I was observing, from my truck at a taxpayer subsidized facility; I was swarmed by… pic.twitter.com/PF6g52gO6s
Abarca ended up going inside to talk to DHS officials. When he came back out, he said they confirmed they were there for a tour.
"It's a little overwhelming. They're talking everything that was suggested - 75, 7,600 beds," Abarca said. "It's federal contractors who are touring to see how they can build out. It's an atrocity, right? And that reality for impacting both regional Kansas City, Jackson County, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa. It's a Midwest facility we're talking about, at least. So, what we're seeing happen here is a new wave of investment into these types of facilities."
Abarca said the official told him they have already toured three other potential facilities. Abarca said the official told him the facility will happen this year.
"I told them in there, at some point, you're going to need an ambulance, you're going to need the police department, you're going to need the fire department. You're going to need these resources from local officials," Abarca said. "What do you tell us, who are going to expend all these local resources for what you're trying to do with this administration's efforts?"
An ICE spokesperson provided the following statement to KSHB 41 News Thursday morning:
"These will not be warehouses - they will be very well structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards. Every day, DHS is conducting law enforcement activities across the country to keep Americans safe. It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and is actively working to expand detention space.
ICE is targeting the worst of the worst including murderers, rapists, criminals, gang members and more. 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities. We have no new detention centers to announce at this time."
KSHB 41 looked up who owns the property on the Jackson County parcel viewer website. Port KC is listed as the owner of the building that DHS officials toured, 14901 Botts Road.
We reached out to Port KC. A spokesperson told us that they are only listed on the website for tax purposes and that Platform Ventures actually owns the property.
Platform Ventures is a private investment firm.
We reached out to Platform Ventures more than once on Thursday and went by the office in downtown Kansas City. Someone at the front desk said they have no comment and "don't want to talk."
At the time this story was published, Platform Ventures' website and LinkedIn pages were taken down. Earlier in the morning, they were active.
Several protesters were also out at the warehouse, holding signs in opposition to ICE operations. Some of them were wearing red cloaks and white hats, similar to the costumes in the popular TV show "The Handmaid's Tale."
"Just put pressure on them and say that Kansas City is in opposition to this," one woman named Karen said when asked why she came out.
"We're just trying to do what we can, use our privilege to say that this is not our country, this is not who we want to be," Karen said. "Protesting is patriotism, so we're standing in opposition to all the awful things that are happening."
Melissa Kane said she heard about the ICE tour on social media and came to see if it was true.
"I think it's important for everybody who can be out here to be out here," Melissa Kane said. "A lot of people can't."
On Wednesday afternoon, Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas released a statement that the city was "working to verify reports about potential DHS detention facilities in Kansas City."
"Regardless of what we learn, I want to reaffirm our city's commitment to being welcoming and inclusive," Lucas said in the statement. "Kansas City has always been a place that embraces growth and opportunity, not fear and division. We believe in ensuring that all who live and visit our community feel valued and respected. Building a city, or a nation, on fear runs counter to the very ideals America was founded upon."
The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council passed a resolution during its Thursday meeting that places a five-year ban on non-municipal detention facilities in the city.
City officials also released additional information regarding the site where DHS and ICE personnel were seen Thursday morning.
In 2022, Port KC entered into a development agreement with Kansas City-based Platform Ventures to build industrial buildings on the site for logistics and manufacturing jobs. Platform Ventures wholly owns the land and buildings on the site, according to a Port KC statement Thursday afternoon.
"To be clear, the building referenced was built and occupied solely as an advanced logistics and industrial facility. It is wholly owned by a private entity," Port KC said in the statement, adding that it has "very limited ability to disallow a sale of the facility."
"Under no circumstances would Port KC offer any development support to a use that is not consistent with our mission to bring quality industrial and logistics jobs to the community," Port KC said. "We will continue to monitor any proposed sale or use of the Platform Ventures facility that would change its use."
Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D - 5th District) sent a letter to DHS regarding concerns about a potential ICE detention facility in the Kansas City area.
The location of the warehouse that DHS officials toured Thursday used to be in Cleaver's congressional district.
However, following the passage of new maps in Missouri, the facility is now within the district belonging to U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R - 4th District).
On Thursday, Cleaver reiterated his opposition to such a facility.
"Such a decision would be overwhelmingly unpopular among our citizens and a waste of taxpayer funding that would be better served supporting local law enforcement and other public safety initiatives," Cleaver said in a statement to KSHB 41 News. "I will continue to do everything in my power to prevent this project from moving forward."
KSHB 41 News anchor Caitlin Knute reached out to Alford's office and to Missouri's two senators, Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, for comment on the DHS site visit Thursday. This story will be updated if a response is received.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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