To the editor:
Missouri has an estimated 70,000 undocumented immigrants, or about 1.1% of the total population. A great many of them work in construction and agriculture, both major industries in the 8th Congressional district.
One of the immigrants, Carol Mayorga of Kennett, had a legal provisional visa that required her to regularly check in with federal officials. (Ed. note: A legal provisional visa is not considered official documentation for immigration purposes, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services government agency). When she kept a routine appointment in St. Louis to do so, she was arrested, shackled, placed in a dark van and transported to the Phelps County jail in Rolla. She is the mother of three children and works two jobs. She has been in the U.S. for 22 years after fleeing domestic abuse in Hong Kong.
When the community of Kennett heard about her treatment, they rallied around her, raising upward of $20,000 to support her children in her absence.
Carol’s story made national news, including a page one story in the New York Times. The stories focused on support for an immigrant in an area dominated by Trump voters. Her workplace, church, friends and acquaintances rallied to her defense and called on Rep. Jason Smith to help her get released from the Greene County jail, where she had been transferred. It is unknown whether Smith played a role in her release.
Her incarceration lasted a month, but on June 4, the Dept. of Homeland Security allowed her to return to her family, with restrictions on her immigration status.
In March, our group, Voters for Informed Action, requested information from Smith regarding the number of immigrants accused of violent crimes in the 8th Congressional District. We did not receive a response. However, many studies have shown that there is no link between violent crime and undocumented immigrants. (Cato.org, 2025, et.al)
According to the National Immigration Law Center, in 2022, undocumented workers in the U.S. paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes, including Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance. As undocumented workers, they cannot collect on any of these services they have paid into.
While we need secure borders and a fair immigration system, the denial of due process is unconstitutional. Furthermore, a bipartisan effort to responsibly reform immigration laws was shot down by Republicans enthralled by Donald Trump in 2024 so he could make it a campaign issue.
Except for Indigenous Americans, we are all immigrants or descendants thereof. Immigration makes our nation stronger.
Kudos to Kennett for supporting Carol — and the Constitution.
Suzanne Femmer,
Voters for Informed Action,
Rolla
