Politicians caution federal immigration agents in southwest Kansas

TOPEKA — Kansas politicians urged federal immigration enforcement officials to coordinate with local law enforcement following reports of indiscriminate stops on southwest Kansas streets, causing business delays and warnings from schools.

Republican U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall said Wednesday they both were in contact with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin after southwest Kansas law enforcement agencies said they didn’t know about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity and residents reported people being stopped at random.

“When ICE operates in Kansas, it needs to coordinate with our local law enforcement,” Marshall said in a post on X. “Our sheriffs and police know these communities better than anyone, and working together keeps officers and residents safe.” 

ICE activity reportedly began around 5 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Kansas News Service. In response, a meatpacking plant in Liberal delayed its starting hours, the school district in Dodge City encouraged parents to ensure their children’s emergency contacts were up-to-date, and area residents scheduled demonstrations to protest the raid. 

“Secretary Mullin assured me these warrants are only for the purpose of arresting individuals who have been charged with criminal activities,” Moran said in a post to X.

The Rev. Adam Hamilton, a Kansas City-area pastor who is running as a Democrat against Marshall, said on social media that immigration agents “should focus on serious criminals in coordination with local officials and Kansas families shouldn’t live in fear.”

“Something has gone very wrong when schools are warning about children going uncared for and businesses are closing in fear,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, a Republican whose district encompasses the cities where ICE has executed enforcement actions, declined to comment Thursday. As of midday Thursday, he had not posted about the ICE activity on his Twitter or Facebook accounts.

Lauren Reinhold, a Lawrence Democrat running for Mann’s seat, said in a Facebook post ICE was “snatching Kansans from the street.”

“This is an extreme overstep for an agency whose jurisdiction only extends a few miles from the border,” she said. “This is the pattern of attacking Americans my campaign is running to halt.”