Kansas immigration

An open letter signed by a majority of Kanas bishops encouraged Kansans to see immigrants as humans, not criminals. Meanwhile, the Kansas Legislature is pushing the governor to "fully cooperate" with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is adding 13 programs to a list of public benefits restricted to people under certain immigration statuses. Officials say this will reduce the burden on taxpayers.

The immigrant-supporting group Advocates for Immigration Rights and Reconciliation confirmed Thursday night that at least two of the up to 12 people detained in raids the day before had been released.

An immigration advocacy group says the raids were carried out by Homeland Security Investigation agents about midday on Wednesday at El Toro Loco restaurants in Lenexa and Kansas City, Kansas.

President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has many recent immigrants terrified, hunkering down and holding onto their money. That new fear and frugality is crushing small, mom-and-pop businesses in some immigrant-heavy business corridors, like Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, just as new tariffs are raising the prices of many products that recent immigrants buy.

Businesses along Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, are taking a hit as customers stay home and cut back on spending. "I don't know what will happen," one business owner said. "It's scary."

The Trump Administration is asking states to more closely watch the citizenship status of people receiving benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But some advocates for immigrant families worry the messaging could hurt people who are eligible for the food assistance.

President Donald Trump has said his mass deportation campaign prioritizes immigrants who have committed violent crimes. But the family of a crime victim in Kansas City, Kansas, said authorities detained him, even though he was about to receive immigration protections.

People without legal status are a key part of the dairy industry's workforce. Some producers hope their economic contribution will protect farms from ICE raids and may open the conversation around policy reform.

The Trump administration’s plans for expanded immigration detentions include Kansas. While a 1,000-bed facility in Leavenworth is on hold, the majority of the state’s detention plays out in a Flint Hills jail.