Resident urges Overland Park council to set clear plan for ICE encounters

Erin Atherton, a resident of Overland Park, told the City Council on Aug. 4 that the council needs a clear plan for how the city will respond when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates in Overland Park.

Atherton said she spoke with Council Member Greg Rees and had not learned of any council discussion about the city’s position on ICE. She described a recent enforcement action in Lenexa and called on the council to take steps to protect community members and businesses if ICE conducts operations locally. “We need a plan so when this does happen, we know how to respond,” Atherton said.

Atherton said the Lenexa raid involved armed, masked officers who would not provide identification, kicked in a door, left gas burners on and removed multiple people in shackles while giving little information about where they were taken. She noted that Kansas has a state law that “prohibits municipalities from restricting law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities,” and said that legal limits do not preclude local steps to support residents.

She urged the council to adopt a public position that city leaders are “here to protect your community members,” to make clear the city will not aid ICE, and to provide training and education. Among her suggestions, Atherton asked the city to promote ICE-witness training for residents, train business owners on employee rights if ICE appears at workplaces, affirm that the city will not share personal data with ICE or DHS without a judicial warrant, and “request that OPPD not detain individuals on ICE holds without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.”

Atherton closed by reiterating that city leaders should be “loud and clear” in protecting community members and said the apparent lawlessness she described is “not welcome in our city.” The council did not record a response during the public comment period; discussion moved to the next agenda items.