Are ICE raids happening in Kansas?
Jan 27, 2025
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - After a crackdown on immigration across the country, there are many questions in Kansas.
KSN reached out to local law enforcement to see if they will be participating in the enforcement of immigration and undocumented Americans.
"ICE has asked us a couple times over the years if we are interested, and so far, we are not interested," said Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter.
Easter is referring to the 287 G program.
"So 287 G means they (Immigration and Custom personnel) train our personnel inside the jail to run all those checks for ICE," said Easter.
Easter says when it comes to individuals who are arrested and placed into their custody, they will send out information as required by ICE for those suspected and booked into jail for crimes not related to immigration.
"We fingerprint them. We send them to the computer databases that ICE use," said Easter. "And they put detainers on them. And we honor those detainers."
In Garden City, where there is a strong immigrant population, KSN reached out to the police to ask what was happening.
One spokesperson for the Garden City Police Department says there are many questions about Immigration and Customs. Some wonder if ICE will be more active than it has been in the past.
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"Kind of keeping track of this, as I think a lot of agencies are. We've got some (agencies) that say, no, we are not assisting and whatnot," said Erinn Reyez, a public information officer for GCPD. "We don't have an MOU or any kind of formal agreement on whether we would or we wouldn't."
KSN asked Reyez if there have been any recent raids or if ICE has ramped up activity in the area.
"We are not aware of any planned raids or are there any that have occurred in Garden City," said Reyez.
Reyez says there is fear in the community over the chance that ICE could ramp up activity.
"And I will say ICE has had an office out here for several years," said Reyez. "We don't have, to our knowledge, no planned raids or there haven't been any that occurred in Garden City."
"Yeah, there's a lot of fear and concern over this. Understandably. But regardless of everything our mission is to protect our community. Safeguard our community and be there for the citizens we swore to protect and serve," said Reyez.
When asked if Wichita police would help with the 287 G program, KSN got a response from Andrew Ford, chief public information officer for the Wichita Police Department:
"The Wichita Police Department does not participate in the 287(g) program. Chief Sullivan has instructed his executive team, command staff, supervisors, and officers to follow WPD policy. WPD will not be part of any immigration task force."
To see the policy for the WPD, click here. To see the policy for ICE, click here.
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