Kansas' Democratic governor signs GOP-pushed bill rolling back pro-immigrant ordinance

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In a major disappointment to immigrant families and advocates in the state, Kansas’ Democratic governor this week signed Republican-pushed legislation that majorly rolls back a Wyandotte County ordinance that sought to limit collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials.

The Safe and Welcoming Act had passed the Unified Government of Wyandotte County’s Board of Commissioners by a 6-4 vote just this past February, and had the support of a wide coalition of groups across the state. It’s a fact that this type of policy makes communities safer. The legislation also opened up municipal cards for local residents who lack IDs.

But Gov. Laura Kelly’s likely GOP opponent this fall, state attorney general Derek Schmidt, has supported legislation that would roll back the ordinance. The Kansas City Star reported Kelly initially seemed to oppose the bill pushed by Schmidt and Republicans, but apparently flipped, approving the bill on Monday. Advocates slammed it as “political cowardice” and “moral betrayal,” the report continued.

The report notes that if Kelly had decided to veto the bill, GOP lawmakers would’ve likely had enough votes to override her. Kelly in fact did veto three other bills this week, but not this one. “Kelly’s decision was met with immediate outrage from Wyandotte County activists,” including Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity organizer Marcus Winn, The Kansas City Star said.

“It’s clear that there are Kansas political leaders from both parties guided more by personal ambition than the common good of our state,” Winn said in the report. “Moving forward, we plan to remind all our elected officials, regardless of party or position, that they work for the people and hold them accountable.” 

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The report also notes that the legislation passed this week would “clarify that those ID cards could still be issued but couldn’t be used to satisfy state law for identification purposes, including voting.” It’s unclear if this means that lawmakers were pushing the right-wing trope that undocumented immigrants vote, but just to be clear, they can’t vote. In fact, it’s the GOP that’s frequently behind shocking reports of voter fraud.

Local residents had expressed optimism and joy when Wyandotte County passed the ordinance in January. Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation organizer Yazmin Bruno Valdez told KCUR at the time that one-fifth of residents in the region lack a photo ID. She’s lacked one for two decades.

“I felt very like, you know, like not a part of society. I felt like there were several things that I couldn’t do,” she said in the report. “When I had to go to my senior prom, they didn’t let me in ’cause I didn’t have an ID. Despite being a student at my school, I needed a driver’s license or a state-issued ID. That was something I just didn’t have as an immigrant. And these are just small snippets of my life, small snippets of everybody’s life here in Wyandotte County.”

Advocates in states like Texas have successfully enacted enhanced library cards that can be used as IDs. “That’s something that we need, whether we need to pick up a prescription or pick up our kids from our schools, get a library card, simple everyday activities,” Valdez continued to KCUR. “Without an ID, we can’t get these things done.”

Kansas state Sen. David Haley, a Democrat, called Kelly’s approval “a real kick in the teeth,”The Topeka Capital-Journal  reported. “I understand it is an election year but that’s a kick in the teeth.” Kelly had notably defeated the notoriously anti-immigrant Kris Kobach in 2018. But this move unfortunately appears to be the latest in Democratic lawmakers apparently succumbing to GOP-pushed fears and narratives during election season.

While President Biden’s decision to end Stephen Miller’s debunked policy that has for more than two years used the pandemic as an excuse to stomp on U.S. asylum law is a just and moral decision, two Senate Democrats who are up for reelection, Mark Kelly and Maggie Hassan, are among those who have joined a group of Senate Republicans to delay the president’s action. Hassan, who represents New Hampshire, also released a widely-panned ad from the southern border:

Another Senate Democrat who is up for reelection, Raphael Warnock, is not part of the group that introduced legislation to delay the end of Title 42, but did release a statement opposing the Biden administration’s action. “Your statement is deeply concerning to us, considering our commitment to supporting policies that ensure the humane treatment of migrant communities,” Latino and immigrant groups told the senator, in a statement reported  by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.