FRIDAY 05/29/2026: Inside Kansas City's immigration court

For immigrants looking to stay in the U.S legally, asylum is often their last hope, but judges are denying more claims. Plus: A Missouri man living in the U.S. for 25 years will be deported to Mexico after authorities pulled him over for not having a front license plate.Millions of immigrants apply for asylum in the U.S. every year, protecting them from deportation. But judges in Kansas City’s immigration court deny the majority of asylum claims they consider. Reporting for The Midwest Newsroom, KCUR’s Celisa Calacal explains how those long odds affect one asylum-seeking family.A 29-year-old Florissant man who came to the U.S. when he was 4 is now being deported to Mexico. Immigration agents detained Victor López Delara after a traffic stop earlier this year. St. Louis Public Radio’s Chad Davis spoke with López Delara by phone from the Ste. Genevieve County Jail and sat down with Abby Llorico to discuss the interview.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.