Republican Senator Roger Marshall has voiced concerns with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in southwest Kansas, calling on federal agents to coordinate more closely with local law enforcement as immigration raids unfold across the region. "When ICE operates in Kansas, it needs to coordinate with our local law enforcement. Our sheriffs and police know these communities better than anyone, and working together keeps officers and residents safe," Marshall wrote in a post on X.
"I’m closely following what’s happening in SW Kansas and have been in direct contact with Secretary Mullin and local law enforcement as ICE executes warrants in order to keep Kansans safe." It comes after local officials reported increased ICE activity in communities including Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal. Officials in those cities said they were not notified in advance of the federal enforcement operations and learned of them only after agents became visible in their communities. In a joint statement, the cities said leaders "understand the concern and uncertainty this situation has created within our communities," which "are built on trust, communication, and transparency." Kansas, which has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932 and has long been considered a GOP stronghold in federal elections, was recently moved from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican" by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Republicans have generally been strong supporters of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement agenda, including expanded deportation efforts and increased ICE operations. It comes after a slate of shootings involving federal immigration agents under the government's mass deportation policy. Foreign-born residents accounted for approximately 7.4 percent of Kansas' population in 2024, according to U.S.
This is a developing story; updates to follow.
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