People or Political Power
Missouri's Attorney General called ICE to intimidate citizens gathering signatures to let voters decide on gerrymandered congressional maps. Sign the petition by Dec 11.
A Direct Threat to Your Constitutional Rights: What's Happening in Missouri Right Now
Fellow Missourians and Americans,
Our republic was founded on a simple principle: government exists to serve the common good, not the private interests of those in power. What's happening in Missouri today is a direct assault on that principle and on your constitutional right to have a say in how you're governed.
The Issue in Plain English:
The Missouri legislature just redrew our congressional map in the middle of the decade (something that hasn't happened here in 60 years) to guarantee Republicans win 7 out of 8 congressional seats, regardless of how Missourians actually vote. They did this at the direct request of President Donald Trump, who told state leaders across the country to rig their maps so Republicans won't lose control of Congress in 2026.
Here's the thing: Missouri's constitution gives you the right to fight back. When the legislature passes a law you don't like, you can gather signatures, put it on the ballot, and let voters decide. That's exactly what a citizen group called People Not Politicians is doing. They're collecting signatures to let YOU vote on whether this new map should become law.
And that's where it gets dangerous.
Missouri's Attorney General, Catherine Hanaway, just did something unprecedented: she called in federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to investigate and harass the people collecting signatures. She publicly claimed (without providing any evidence whatsoever) that the petition gatherers are "employing illegal aliens" and engaging in "human trafficking."
Let me be crystal clear about what's happening here: The state government is using federal law enforcement to intimidate citizens who are exercising their First Amendment rights.
The Verified Facts
I don't make claims lightly. Here's what actually happened, confirmed by multiple independent news sources:
On the Attorney General's Actions: Attorney General Catherine Hanaway publicly announced she referred Advanced Micro Targeting (the company helping collect signatures) to ICE. She posted on social media: "Out-of-state signature collectors are reportedly employing illegal aliens in their efforts to undermine the will of the people's elected representatives." She has provided zero evidence for this claim. ICE has not publicly commented on whether they even received evidence from her office.
On the Congressional Map: The new map (House Bill 1) was designed to eliminate Democratic representation by carving up Kansas City (Missouri's largest city) and splitting it three ways. The map literally uses Troost Avenue (a street that has historically divided Kansas City along racial lines) as the boundary between districts. This isn't even subtle. The map fractures Black communities specifically to dilute their voting power.
On Trump's Involvement: Missouri was the second state, after Texas, to answer President Trump's call to redraw districts to prevent Republicans from losing control of the House. This isn't speculation. It's documented fact. Trump publicly pressured Missouri to do this.
On the Petition Effort: The citizen group needs to collect about 106,000 valid signatures from six of Missouri's eight congressional districts by December 11. They report having already collected over 200,000 signatures (nearly double what's required). The petition has strong support across party lines from Missourians who believe voters, not politicians, should decide how districts are drawn.
On Using Out-of-State Petition Firms: This is completely normal and legal. Both Republicans and Democrats use professional petition-gathering firms from out of state. There is nothing unusual or suspicious about this practice. Attorney General Hanaway knows this.
Why This Matters to You (Regardless of Your Politics)
I don't care whether you're a Republican, Democrat, or Independent. I don't care who you voted for in the last election. What's happening in Missouri threatens every single one of us.
Here's what the Founders understood that we seem to have forgotten: You cannot have a legitimate republic when those in power get to rig the system to keep themselves in power.
John Adams put it plainly in the Massachusetts Constitution: government is instituted "for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people, and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men."
Read that again. Government exists for YOUR benefit, not to serve the private political interests of politicians who want to guarantee their own re-election.
What We Should Expect as Citizens
In a legitimate republic, we should expect:
1. Fair Representation: Your vote should matter. Districts should be drawn to represent communities, not to guarantee predetermined election outcomes. When politicians draw maps to ensure they can't lose, they're not serving you. They're serving themselves.
2. The Right to Petition: When government oversteps, you have the constitutional right to gather signatures and let voters decide. This is basic First Amendment stuff. The government doesn't get to sic federal agents on you for exercising this right.
3. Government Transparency: Politicians should govern in the open, not behind closed doors doing favors for presidents and party bosses. The Missouri legislature rammed this map through in barely ten days with no meaningful public input.
4. Equal Protection Under Law: The government can't target Black communities specifically to dilute their voting power. That's not just wrong. It violates the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act.
What We're Actually Getting
Instead of legitimate government serving the common good, here's what Missouri Republicans are doing:
Rigging Elections Before They Happen: They're redrawing districts in the middle of the decade specifically to guarantee they win, not because communities changed or the census required it, but because Trump told them to and they're worried about losing power.
Using Federal Law Enforcement as Political Enforcers: They're calling in ICE (an agency that's been documented detaining U.S. citizens, dragging people out of cars, and operating with virtually no accountability) to intimidate citizens engaged in legal petition-gathering.
Making False Claims Without Evidence: The Attorney General is publicly accusing petition-gatherers of breaking immigration law and engaging in human trafficking, without providing a shred of evidence. This isn't law enforcement. It's character assassination designed to scare people away from signing the petition.
Blocking Your Constitutional Rights: They initially refused to even process the referendum paperwork. The Secretary of State declared that signatures gathered before HE personally approved the petition were invalid and suggested the volunteers who collected them might have committed crimes. Think about that: they're threatening citizens with criminal prosecution for exercising constitutional rights.
The Contrast with How Democracy Should Work
Compare this to what happened in California. Governor Gavin Newsom also wanted to redraw congressional districts (in response to what Texas Republicans did). But here's the difference: California Democrats took their plan directly to voters.
They said: "We think this is necessary to counter Republican gerrymandering in other states. But YOU get to decide. We're putting this on the ballot. If you don't like it, vote it down."
And California voters approved it. 64% voted yes in a fair election.
That's what legitimate government looks like. You might disagree with California's redistricting plan, but they respected your right as a citizen to make that call. They didn't call in federal agents to harass people. They didn't make baseless accusations. They made their case and let voters decide.
Missouri Republicans are doing the exact opposite. They're saying: "We're rigging the maps whether you like it or not, and if you try to exercise your constitutional right to petition, we'll use federal law enforcement to stop you."
Why the "Illegal Immigration" Claim Is a Cynical Lie
Let's talk about the Attorney General's human trafficking claim, because this is where it gets truly insulting to your intelligence.
The Republican Party spent the entire 2024 campaign promising they'd release the Epstein files and crack down on human trafficking. They beat their chests about protecting children and stopping exploitation.
Then they took power and spent ten months covering up the Epstein files, led by the President himself. The most notorious pedophile ring in American history, and they buried it.
Now, suddenly, they care about human trafficking when citizens are trying to petition their government?
This isn't about human trafficking. This isn't about illegal immigration. This is about power, pure and simple. They're throwing around inflammatory accusations because they think it'll scare you away from signing the petition.
Don't fall for it.
What You Can Do
First: Understand this is about YOUR rights. Whether you agree with this specific petition or not, Missouri's government is establishing a precedent that they can use federal law enforcement to shut down any petition effort they don't like. Today it's congressional maps. Tomorrow it could be anything you care about.
Second: If you're a Missouri voter, consider signing the petition. Not because I'm telling you how to vote on redistricting, but because you should have the RIGHT to vote on it. Let voters decide, not politicians protecting their own power.
Third: Share this information. The reason Missouri Republicans are doing this during the holidays is because they're counting on you being too busy to pay attention. Prove them wrong.
Fourth: Demand better from your representatives. Call them. Email them. Ask them point-blank: "Do you support using ICE to intimidate citizens exercising their First Amendment rights?" Make them answer.
Fifth: Support independent news sources like Democracy Docket (founded by voting rights attorney Marc Elias) that actually cover these stories. Major news outlets have given this virtually zero coverage. The only way you know about it is because independent journalists are doing the work legacy media won't do.
The Bottom Line
Government legitimacy comes from serving the common good, not from rigging the system to benefit those in power.
When politicians draw maps to guarantee they can't lose, that's not serving you.
When they use federal agents to intimidate citizens exercising constitutional rights, that's not serving you.
When they make false accusations without evidence to scare people away from signing petitions, that's not serving you.
They're serving themselves. And they're betting you won't notice or won't care enough to do anything about it.
The Founders gave you tools to fight back against this kind of corruption. One of those tools is the referendum process: the right to gather signatures and let voters decide.
Missouri Republicans are trying to take that tool away from you by making you afraid to use it.
Don't let them.
This isn't about Republican versus Democrat. This is about whether we're going to be citizens with rights, or subjects with permissions that can be revoked whenever it's convenient for those in power.
I know which one the Founders intended. I know which one you deserve.
The question is: what are you going to do about it?
The signature deadline is December 11, 2025. If you're a Missouri voter and want to sign the petition to let voters decide on the congressional map, visit People Not Politicians Missouri's website or contact them directly. Exercise your rights while you still have them.