“What? Here? This can't be right.”
That was the reaction of many people in Rolla and St. James when we learned that the Phelps County Jail is one of three Missouri facilities being used to house men and women detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in recent months, part of a nationwide effort underway by the Trump administration. Numbers are hard to track, but public records indicate that at least 140 ICE detainees have been housed at the Phelps County Jail since March.
One such case ended in tragedy when Brayan Garzon-Rayo, a 27-year-old man who was born in Colombia, was found unresponsive in his cell in the Phelps County Jail on April 7, after an attempted suicide. He was treated at Phelps Health Hospital in Rolla and transferred to a St. Louis hospital, where he died the following day. In an article published by St. Louis Public Radio, Brayan's mother, Lucy, said she had never even heard of Phelps County until her son was jailed there. Her last contact with her son was in a routine phone call, about 5 days before his death.
When ICE officials and county officials released reports following Garzon-Rayo's tragic death, a news item appeared in the local newspaper, Phelps County Focus. This was when many Rolla and St. James residents realized that ICE detainees were being incarcerated locally. (“Colombian national’s death in county jail was by suicide” by Andrew Sheeley, Phelps County Focus, April 24, 2025)
Out of care and concern for the detainees—many of whom have had difficulty contacting their families to let them know where they are being held—a diverse group of volunteers in Phelps County has formed an outreach organization called Abide in Love. Abide in Love was founded on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s philosophy of nonviolence with a mission to support immigrants in our community. The current efforts focus on supporting the ICE detainees held at the Phelps County Jail. The first efforts will include gifts of care packages, postcards, and monetary funds for detainees.
The group is led by community organizer Amy Beechner-McCarthy and Lucy Behrendt, a member of Trinity, St. James, along with a collaborative group of over 40 citizens. The Rev. Kevin McGrane, priest-in-charge of Trinity, St. James, the Rev. Shug Goodlow, priest-in-charge at Christ Church, Rolla, the Rev. Lindy Hardwick, retired priest in Rolla, plus Mary Kaye Kramme, Chris Sowers, and other local Episcopalians are involved in the effort. Amy and Lucy have met with Michael Kirn, Phelps County Sheriff, and they report that he is supportive of the efforts of the Abide in Love group.
Through her involvement with Abide in Love, Lucy has become close to Carol Mayorga of Kennett, MO, one of the detainees who spent time at the Phelps County Jail before being transferred to the jail in Springfield, MO (Greene County). Lucy describes Carol as someone who is demonstrating grace under pressure.
I reached out to Carol to see how I could help her, and in every interaction we've had since, her goal has been to help someone else,” Lucy said, adding, “Carol and most of her cell mates do not have a shared language, but they pray together, sing songs together, and she uses her commissary funds to help them buy snacks and call their loved ones. In the darkest of circumstances, she has not forgotten our shared humanity.
Carol's story has gone viral through coverage by NPR and the New York Times. (“A Missouri Town Was Solidly Behind Trump. Then Carol Was Detained” by Jack Healy, The New York Times, May 28, 2025)
Kevin said he became active with Abide in Love simply because Jesus taught his followers to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and visit those in prison. “Jesus encouraged us to visit those in prison. He didn’t make any judgments about why they were in prison; Jesus just said ‘visit those in prison’, which is what we are doing,” he explained.
To learn more or for information about how to organize in your community, contact: info@abideinlove.org or P.O. Box 1909, Rolla, MO 65401.
If you wish to donate to Abide in Love, the group’s fundraising link is below.
