Rodrigo Gonzalez Carbajal is a 19-year-old student at a McDonald County high school in southwest Missouri. Last week, he was pulled over while driving home from soccer practice. Instead of going home, he was sent to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Springfield.

Rodrigo has not been hiding from the immigration system. He applied for asylum, and when he was stopped he had a work permit and a Social Security card with him. According to his family's attorney, he has not missed an asylum hearing, and his next one is set for January 3, 2028.

That is why many people in the area are asking questions. Pastor J.R. Morgan of South West City told KOAM News Now, "If he had documentation, if he had a court date coming up, what was the purpose of expediting that?"

The Noel Marshal's Office takes part in the 287(g) program, which lets local officers handle some immigration enforcement work for ICE. Residents on different sides of the immigration debate want to know why a student with papers and an open case was moved to detention so quickly.

Rodrigo's principal and his mother say he is staying positive and wants to get back to class and graduate. He should be able to do that while his case moves through the courts the way it is supposed to.

ICE and the Noel Marshal's Office have the power to make this right. ICE can release Rodrigo while his asylum case continues, and the Marshal's Office can tell the community what happened during the stop and why he was handed over.

Sign the petition to bring Rodrigo home so he can finish school with his classmates.