New Kansas law lets police enter ICE agreements without county oversight
- Planeta Venus
- hace 2 horas
- 3 Min. de lectura
Topeka, Kansas | April 11, 2026
By Stefania Lugli and Claudia Amaro | Planeta Venus
A new law will make it easier for Kansas sheriffs to partner with federal immigration agents and harder for people to observe law enforcement, after lawmakers overrode Governor Laura Kelly’s veto Thursday night.
HB2372 undoes a state statute requiring county commissions to approve a law enforcement agency’s partnership with an outside entity.
Lowering that barrier allows local sheriffs to participate in the 287(g) program ICE offers without county permission or oversight. The ICE program delegates state and local law enforcement officers to serve warrants and detain immigrants on behalf of the federal agency.
In a 287(g) partnership, if ICE issues a detainer request, local law enforcement can detain an immigrant for transfer to ICE custody regardless of whether the person has criminal charges.
“These new provisions break down the boundaries that exist between local and federal operations. They expose agencies in our state to federal civil rights litigation, and it’s all for the goal of targeting immigrants in our community,” Logan DeMond, the director of policy and research for ACLU Kansas, said.
“This is a direct attack on due process. There are serious constitutional concerns with this legislation. It’s not just an attack on immigrants. It is an attack on all of our rights.”
ICE records show that there are currently 26 law enforcement agencies in Kansas with some level of partnership with the agency under 287(g). The new state law also extends civil immunity and other protections to officers participating in the federal agreement.
Conversely, the law restricts onlookers’ ability to be near or record law enforcement, stating that any person within 25 feet of a first responder could be charged with a misdemeanor for an unlawful approach, sparking claims that the law violates the First Amendment.
“Journalists are regularly within 25 feet of police officers and often find themselves in situations where a 25-foot buffer would impede their observations, violating their clearly established First Amendment rights,” the Kansas Press Association said in opposing testimony.
Governor Kelly (D) echoed this concern, saying in a statement that the legislation creates tension between officers and First Amendment rights, and that federal laws exist establishing the crime of police interference. Kansas also already had its own law addressing such interference, written in 2010.
Senate President Ty Masterson, who led the override of Kelly’s veto, said in a statement that the bill was, at least in part, inspired by recent events in Minneapolis, where Operation Metro Surge deployed 3,000 ICE personnel in the Twin Cities, to the protest of thousands of Minnesotans. ICE officers killed two civilian protestors while they were observing and recording officers.
“This simple public safety bill prevents radical protesters from interfering with law enforcement and will keep our officers and bystanders safe by installing a 25-foot buffer zone during law enforcement operations,” Masterson said. “Minneapolis will not be coming to Kansas.”
Michael Sharma-Crawford, an immigration attorney based in Kansas City, said that Kansas detentions are increasing.
Sharma-Crawford shared that, since August, his firm has filed more than 50 petitions to secure the release of individuals from custody.
Authorities are utilizing facilities such as CoreCivic in Leavenworth, Kansas —which has over a thousand beds to detain individuals across the Midwest—and are rapidly filling them week after week. "It is their absolute desire to detain as many people as possible," Sharma-Crawford said.
When asked if ACLU Kansas intends to challenge the new law, DeMond said he couldn’t confirm as the organization is still reviewing all newly approved legislation.
Sharma-Crawford’s advice to immigrants is to avoid traveling altogether—whether by plane or car. According to him, any routine encounter with authorities is a risk. “If a patrol officer pulls you over on the highway, they will now want to investigate the identity of the person sitting in the back seat.” And he added, “Matters have reached a point where, if you get into any kind of criminal trouble and are arrested by local police, you will inevitably end up in ICE custody.”
Sharma-Crawford emphasized the urgency for individuals to be prepared in advance by gathering copies of all their immigration documents, as well as evidence of their physical presence in the country if they have resided here for more than 10 years. He also advised families to seek direct legal counsel from an immigration attorney to understand their actual options, rather than relying on what happened in ‘a cousin's case,’ as every situation is unique.
Sharma-Crawford finalized the interview with the following statement: "You just have to be patient and understand that this is an ugly time and not do stupid things."