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Rural Missouri mom taken by ICE at immigration check-in faces deportation to Hong Kong

St. Louis Public Radio | By Kavahn Mansouri | Midwest Newsroom,
Chad Davis
Published May 30, 2025 at 7:08 AM CDT

Since Carol Mayorga left her home in Kennett — a rural town in the state's Bootheel area — for her appointment with immigration officials in St. Louis earlier this spring, ICE officials have ping-ponged her throughout rural Missouri jails, including Greene County Jail in Springfield and Phelps County Jail in Rolla. She’s expected to be deported to Hong Kong.

In late April, Carol Mayorga went from Kennett to St. Louis to renew her employment authorization documents at a routine check-in with immigration officials. She was detained, and shackled, and is now held at the Greene County jail in Springfield. She faces deportation to Hong Kong.

Midwest Newsroom investigative reporter Kavahn Mansouri and STLPR reporter Chad Davis discuss their story that details why Mayorga was arrested and how the community of Kennett is rallying for her return to the community.

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News immigrationunauthorized migrantscriminal justiceICE
Kavahn Mansouri | Midwest Newsroom
Kavahn Mansouri is the Investigative Reporter for The Midwest Newsroom based in St. Louis. A native of St. Louis, Kavahn is a graduate of Webster University. You can reach him at kmansouri@kcur.org.
See stories by Kavahn Mansouri | Midwest Newsroom
Chad Davis
Chad Davis is a 2016 graduate of Truman State University where he studied Public Communication and English. At Truman State, Chad served as the executive producer of the on-campus news station, TMN Television. In 2017, Chad joined the St. Louis Public Radio team as a general assignment reporter. Chad is a native of St. Louis and is a huge hip- hop, r&b, and pop music fan. He also enjoys graphic design, pop culture, film, and comedy.
See stories by Chad Davis