ICE officers spotted in Sedalia two months after Pettis County Sheriff’s Office entered additional agreement

SEDALIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were operating in Sedalia this week, according to city officials.

Sedalia Mayor Traves Williams confirmed to ABC 17 News that ICE officers were in the area on Tuesday, but said he was not notified in advance of their arrival.

ICE officers were seen near 16th Street alongside vehicles from the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office. Multiple residents who wished to remain anonymous -- out of fear of possible retaliation -- also told ABC 17 News that officers were observed making arrests at multiple businesses in the area.

The Pettis County Sheriff’s Office is one of more than 90 law enforcement agencies in Missouri that has entered into an agreement with ICE. ICE offers three partnership models for local agencies: The Jail Enforcement Model, Task Force Model and Warrant Service Officer Program. Agencies may participate in more than one model.

Pettis County Sheriff's Office initially joined the agency’s Jail Enforcement Model in August 2025. Under the Jail Enforcement Model agreement, trained jail personnel are authorized to identify inmates in local custody who may be subject to immigration removal proceedings.

However, on April 25, the Pettis Sheriff's Office signed a Task Force Model agreement in April. Under the Task Force Model, participating officers may identify individuals they believe are not U.S. citizens during routine policing, share information with ICE, and, in some cases, carry out immigration-related arrests or serve administrative warrants, but only under ICE supervision.

ABC 17 News reached out to both ICE and the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office for comment.