Kansas Governor Candidates Address Sheriffs and ICE Agreements Law
The Johnson County Post published on October 16 the final installment of its questionnaire for Kansas governor candidates, focused on sheriffs' cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This year the Legislature overrode Governor Laura Kelly's veto of a law letting sheriffs sign 287(g) agreements with ICE without county commission approval. The same law created a 25-foot buffer around first responders, including federal agents, which ICE agents invoked during immigration enforcement operations in Olathe earlier this year.
Democratic candidate State Sen. Cindy Holscher said she believes in a strong border and enforcing the law, and that sheriffs should be able to work with ICE to get dangerous criminals off the streets, but that the law leaves too many questions unanswered and she would work with both parties as governor to address them. She said locally elected county commissioners should have a say in how county resources are used, and that the buffer should protect officers without being used against residents or reporters peacefully observing from a reasonable distance.
The series ran daily ahead of the start of early voting and previously covered property taxes, special education funding, Medicaid and federal cuts, and the state budget. The Republican nominee is Senate President Ty Masterson. Kansas will elect a new governor on November 3, as Kelly is term-limited.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 堪萨斯州议会大厦，托皮卡。Kansas State Capitol in Topeka. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
