KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.
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As the debate on immigration enforcement takes center stage across the country, Kansas has largely already had that debate. In 2022, the state passed a law banning sanctuary cities.
This means cities can’t shield immigrants from Immigration and Customs Enforcement or interfere with ICE.
But ICE is not required to notify local law enforcement agencies when it operates in their jurisdiction.
President Donald Trump’s new focus on enforcement and deportation has thrust ICE into the spotlight.
A public affairs officer from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to KSHB 41 News that ICE agents were working in Olathe on Friday.
State Sen. Dinah Sykes, a Democrat from Lenexa, voted no on the 2022 bill.
“When you have federal and ICE agents not talking to local agencies, it’s taking away that trust that our law enforcement community has spent decades trying to build,” she said.
State Rep. David Buehler, a Republican from Lansing, wasn’t serving when Kansas passed the law in 2022.
He asked for both sides of the debate to give more grace.
“Those in my caucus believe it’s an issue of law and order and our nation’s borders ought to be sovereign and protected,” he said.
Locally, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Lenexa and Overland Park police departments do not participate in ICE’s 287(g) program, which authorizes local law enforcement to act on ICE’s behalf.
A Lenexa police spokesperson said it “does not conduct enforcement actions based solely on an individual’s immigration status. Our mission is centered on public safety, and we are committed to serving all who live, work, and visit Lenexa with honor, integrity, and professionalism.”
Overland Park's immigration policy is posted on the city’s website.
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