These caves under Kansas City are making it harder for people to become U.S. citizens

Natalie Wallington
·2 min read

Kansas City’s elaborate network of man made caves made the national news on Monday, Jan. 24 for the vital government records that some of them hold. Physical media from film and photographs to billions of paper documents are stored in Federal Records Centers, or FRCs, around the metro area.

While these government record centers are never open to the public, the pandemic has restricted them even further, reducing staff and barring many government workers from entry. That’s causing problems for prospective citizens, whose application documents are now locked underground.

“This situation has turned into a Kafkaesque bureaucratic immigration nightmare, and the applicants deserve better,” immigration attorney Susan Cohen told the Wall Street Journal.

Wait, there are limestone caves under Kansas City?

Kansas City’s caves are a topic of pride for locals and fascination for newcomers to the area. Built in abandoned mines, these caves house a variety of businesses, storage facilities and other attractions.

The federal government has been storing paperwork in these caves for nearly 25 years. Its first FRC opened in 1997 beneath Lee’s Summit, and another opened in 2003 under Lenexa. The largest FRC, however, is in the massive cave complex known as SubTropolis, located in the foothills near Randolph, just north of the Missouri River.

SubTropolis is touted as “The world’s largest underground business complex” by its landlord, real estate developers Hunt Midwest. In addition to the FRC, its tenants include a paintball course, RV storage and office buildings alongside pharmaceutical and food manufacturing plants. The U.S. Postal Service even runs a distribution center for postage stamps in the complex.

Why are government records kept in these caves?

Limestone caves in former mine sites actually provide ideal conditions for storing paper documents and other materials like film reels and photographs. The caves’ naturally cool and dry conditions decrease the costs of climate control, and their location deep underground offers natural protection from even the most severe weather. Space in these caves, many of which have ceilings 17 feet tall or higher, is also cheap and plentiful.

But the enclosed conditions of the underground FRCs have posed a problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Archives and Records Administration has called its Kansas City facility “an area of high transmission,” cutting staff by as much as 75%.

Pandemic restrictions have made physical documents nearly impossible to access, creating a backlog of immigration and other cases over the past two years. It’s a problem that critics say could be solved by digitizing government records. Until that happens, billions of documents will remain housed in the cool, white limestone vaults deep beneath the city.

Do you have more questions about unique attractions and secret spaces in Kansas City? Ask our Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com or fill out the form below.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • What prison sentence could Trump face if he is convicted at his hush money trial?

    Republican presidential contender is the first former US president to go on criminal trial

  • Man builds entire home next to LA freeway

    Home in encampment along 110 Freeway has own front door and electricity, allowing the resident to have lights, a stove and a refrigerator

  • Smoke ‘n’ Spurs back in the saddle this summer

    PAPINEAU-CAMERON TWP., Ont. — Smoke ‘n’ Spurs rides again. From horses to horsepower, the Smoke ‘n’ Spurs festival revs it up, and this Labour Day weekend, the event rolls into its new home, in Papineau-Cameron Township, just outside of Mattawa. “Everything is wide open for us,” said Gary Anderson of the coming festival. Anderson and his wife, Jennifer, are excited to revive the festival previously held in Powassan. After six successful years, organizers decided to cancel the seventh year, and w

  • Clippers fined $25,000 by NBA for violating league injury reporting rules

    NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers were fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for violating league injury reporting rules. The team failed to accurately disclose the availability status of Paul George, Norman Powell and Russell Westbrook before its game against Houston last Sunday, the final day of the regular season. None of the trio played and none were listed on the team's injury report as being out due to injury or rest. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba The Associated Press

  • Enterprise Group signs MOU with Treaty 8 First Nation

    Enterprise Group, an energy services consolidator, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on April 1st outlining a business relationship with a prominent Treaty 8 First Nation, according to a news release from the company. Energeticcity.ca contacted Enterprise regarding which First Nation they signed the agreement with but did not receive a response by publication time. The MOU is an agreement to expand and further develop the business relationship between the parties, which includes Enterpr

  • UK rules out EU-wide deal on work and study visas for young people

    The government has ruled out striking an EU-wide agreement on allowing an exchange of young people to work and study for extended periods of time. On Thursday, the European Commission announced its plans to begin negotiating with members of the bloc on a joined-up approach that could be taken with the UK. The proposals related to a Youth Mobility Scheme, a deal between nations allowing 18 to 30-year-olds the opportunity to work or study for up to four years in each other's territories.

  • UPDATE 1-BOJ's Ueda says 'very likely' to hike rates if inflation keeps rising

    Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Friday the central bank will "very likely" be raising interest rates if underlying inflation continued to go up. Ueda also said the central bank will find a way to reduce the amount of its Japanese government bond (JGB) purchases, though the actual timing was still undecided. Having ended its various unconventional monetary easing measures in March, the BOJ has brought more flexibility to its policy and may change its short-term interest rate target depending on how upcoming data unfold, Ueda said.

  • Most Expensive ZIP Code To Buy a Home in Every State

    If you're looking to purchase a home in a new location, you might be curious about the most expensive areas that are within your state. Depending on your income, those locations offer luxury homes...

  • Gardener ranked seventh among goaltending prospects in NHL Central Scouting final rankings

    The accolades continue for Saskatoon Blades rookie goaltender Evan Gardner. According to the team, the Fort St. John product was named seventh in NHL Central Scouting final rankings for goaltenders, released on April 16th. Gardner was ranked 16th in the previous report released in January. The 18-year-old compiled a 21-5-0-2 regular season record and a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.91, which led the Western Hockey League (WHL). Gardner also tied teammate Austin Elliot for second in the WHL wi

  • Braves ace Spencer Strider begins recovery from elbow surgery, says team can win World Series

    ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider began to feel discomfort in his right elbow in spring training but didn't realize the severity of the injury until learning he needed season-ending surgery. Strider said he had a bone fragment develop following Tommy John surgery in 2019 that caused the ulnar collateral ligament to become unstable. Strider also said he did not have a tear that required a second Tommy John surgery and he instead had an internal brace procedure, perhaps giving him

  • Remembering Kyle Velasquez | Columbine 25 years

    In honor of the victims of Columbine on the occasion of 25 years since the tragedy, these are the inscriptions on each plaque provided by the Columbine Memorial Foundation. This is Kyle Velasquez’s tribute.

  • Snow Showers Denver Metro Area

    Snow showers swept into the Denver-Boulder area on Friday, April 19, with heavier snow expected as the day continued, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.Footage taken by Peter Ohser shows light snow falling on Evergreen, southwest of Denver, on Friday.A winter weather advisory was in effect until Saturday morning, with the NWS warning of total snow accumulations up to 10 inches. Credit: Peter Ohser via Storyful

  • Most NH-02 candidates would back Ukraine aid package

    Candidate Colin Van Ostern said his fellow Democrats should be willing to rescue Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson from attempts to take his gavel in order to get aid to Ukraine across the finish line.

  • Police looking for a man accused of robbing a bank in New Albany

    Police looking for a man accused of robbing a bank in New Albany

  • Commanders hosted 4 top QB prospects at once, and Jayden Daniels' agent wasn't happy

    The Commanders had an unusual visit with multiple QB prospects.

  • Climate targets group's CEO seeks to ease concerns over carbon offset plan

    The CEO of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) on Friday sought to reassure critics' concerns over the global nonprofit's plan to allow companies to use carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions from their value chain. Last week, the SBTi's staff accused the leadership of the climate targets verification group of acting without a sound scientific basis and called for the ouster of the chief executive and the reversal of the plan. Critics worry, however, that the policy could let companies off the hook when it comes to reducing emissions.

  • Hush money trial: All the wild defences Trump has given so far

    Ex-president’s team have seemingly thrown everything but the kitchen sink to try to stop or stall the former president’s first criminal trial — none of these efforts have been successful so far

  • Best Growth Stocks To Buy And Watch: See Updates To IBD Watchlists

    Find the best stocks to buy and watch by seeing which top growth stocks were just added to the IBD 50, IPO Leaders and other IBD stock lists.

  • “Our mission is to help as many people as we can"

    With the channel blocked and ships not getting through, workers used to 80-hour paychecks are now getting just a few hours. "We're daily hires, a lot of us, so it's like hitting a brick wall, the checks just stop, you're not a salaried employee they didn't know what to do," said Scott Cowan, the president of the international longshoremen's association, local 333. In the waning hours of the legislative session, the Port Act passed. READ MORE: https://www.wmar2news.com/keybridgecollapse/payments-to-port-workers-on-the-way-as-collapse-limits-hours

  • 5 Investigates: Judge rules Mass. law on 'equity theft' is unconstitutional

    Nearly a year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled so-called "equity theft" unconstitutional, a Massachusetts judge confirmed the ruling applies to the way Massachusetts conducts tax foreclosures, pressuring lawmakers to act.