Jaiden Booth has been following viral videos of National Guard and federal immigration agents operating in cities across the country, watching closely how people of color are treated during raids and protests. In his St. Louis neighborhood he has noticed federal agents and unmarked vehicles in immigrant communities in recent months and has begun preparing to assist vulnerable residents. Booth attended a federal enforcement safety town hall organized by local activists and immigration attorneys to learn how to monitor ICE activity. He opposes using immigration agents or the National Guard to police communities of color, saying their presence does not make those neighborhoods safer.
Booth and several Black law enforcement leaders worry that sending troops and federal agents into cities will increase harmful interactions with Black residents, including harassment or mistreatment. That concern persists even as St. Louis crime statistics have trended downward: the city reported decreases in violent and property crimes over the past year, and the homicide total for 2025 to date is its lowest in years, with 123 murders so far this year compared with 224 in 2020, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Still, President Trump has argued that cities such as St. Louis need outside help to address crime, saying they must be saved.
On Oct. 1, Missouri’s Republican governor activated the state National Guard to support ICE in largely clerical roles. State officials said 15 guardsmen would assist with data entry, logistical support and case management. Neither the governor’s office nor the Missouri National Guard responded to interview requests for this report.
Donny Walters, president of the Ethical Society of Police, the union for Black officers in St. Louis, said deployments to Democratic-led cities and communities of color drive a wedge between police and residents. He called the tactic ‘heavy-handed’ and argued federal resources would be better spent on services that support Black and brown communities rather than expanded enforcement. Walters warned that short-term federal deployments could leave local officers to manage long-term fallout if those actions erode public trust.
Other Black law enforcement officials make a similar point: efforts to reduce crime should be led by city leaders, police chiefs and social service providers, not outside forces. Renee Hall, president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, said the aggressive posture resembles earlier eras of policing that disproportionately targeted Black communities. Pointing to a history of over-policing tied to racialized control, she said sending National Guard troops and federal agents sends the wrong message and undermines the work many departments have done to move away from those practices. Hall described such deployments as performative and unlikely to produce the meaningful, sustainable crime reductions communities want.