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Sheriff's office reports Washington meetings on grants and federal immigration policies
Summary
Sheriff's staff reported meetings with members of Congress and federal agencies in Washington, D.C., on funding and immigration enforcement; commissioners were briefed that grant money remained intact and the county is monitoring proposed state legislation affecting sheriffs.
The Franklin County Sheriff's office reported to the commission on Feb. 12 that county representatives met with members of Kansas's congressional delegation and federal law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C., to discuss grant funding and immigration-related policy proposals.
What the sheriff reported: Undersheriff Laswell and another sheriff's office representative said they met with Senators Moran and Marshall, Congresswoman Davids and Congressman Schmidt during the National Sheriffs Conference. They said they raised concerns about funding changes coming from Washington and shorter-term proposals that could affect local programs; staff said they had not lost any grant funding and that issues had been addressed favorably.
Immigration and state-level proposals: Sheriff staff said they also met with U.S. Border Patrol and ICE enforcement staff to better understand federal priorities and that Kansas-level legislative proposals had been proposed that could have required actions by sheriff's offices. The county's state association pushed back on some state proposals and staff said one bill was pulled; the county continues to monitor potential requirements. Staff noted some jail inmates currently have ICE detainers placed by ICE, not initiated by local authorities.
Commission response: Commissioners thanked the sheriff's office for maintaining federal contacts and noted the importance of communicating local impacts to state and federal officials. No action items were recorded; the briefing was informational.
