Wyandotte County, Kansas has rolled out the red carpet for illegal immigrants in recent years, and now may throw up bureaucratic barbed wire to keep ICE out.

Four years after the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas began offering illegals ID cards, a UG commissioner is proposing a five-year ban on Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities.

Third District Commissioner Christian Ramirez announced his proposed ordinance in a Facebook post. The law would prohibit issuance of the required special-use permit for “non-municipal detention centers” until 2031.

The proposal mirrors one passed Jan. 15 on a 12-1 vote by the Kansas City council on the Missouri side.

“Wyandotte County is home to generations of immigrant families who are essential to our local economy, culture, and civic life,” Ramirez said in his press release. “Wyandotte County should not be used for detention expansion.

“Our residents have been clear about their priorities. “We want to invest in housing, education, economic opportunity, and community safety; not detention facilities that create fear, destabilize neighborhoods, and disproportionately harm immigrant families.

“As detention proposals move forward elsewhere in the region, it is important that Wyandotte County acts decisively. This ordinance ensures our community is not positioned as an alternative location and affirms our commitment to protecting immigrant communities and preserving neighborhood stability.”

Ramirez’s claim that non-enforcement of immigration laws promotes neighborhood stability flies in the face of Heartlander reporting of what amounts to an immigrant crime wave in Wyandotte County.

The Heartlander reported in November 2024 that felony jail bookings in Wyandotte County present case after case after case of foreign-born suspects in weapons and drug crimes, aggravated assaults, possession of stolen property, indecent liberties with a child, vehicular involuntary manslaughter and more.

Yet, in February 2022 the UG Board of Commissioners had voted to offer illegal immigrants municipal ID cards – unofficially marking the county as a sanctuary jurisdiction.

The Kansas Legislature quickly passed, and Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly signed, a law presumably making the Wyandotte County card illegal.

However, similar cards still seem to be available.

“While the full county program faced setbacks,” Google AI says, “residents can still potentially access a community ID through local initiatives, with efforts led by organizations like the ACLU of Kansas aiming to provide IDs for library, transit, and service access, though the process and availability for a specific municipal ID card need checking with local county/city offices.”

The KCK Police Department website appears to also offer “Kansas City, Kansas Identification Cards.” A flier on the site says:

“The KCK ID is designed for individuals who:

• are unsheltered
• don’t have the documents needed to obtain an ID due to loss, theft, etc.”

The flier does say, “We will confirm your identity utilizing police database information. … If we cannot verify, an ID will not be issued.”

It also notes that, “You must be an adult, documented resident  of Kansas City, Kansas to apply.” It doesn’t indicate what kind of documents are required, however, so the Heartlander reached out to the KCKPD for clarification.

A spokesperson responded in an email that the KCK ID is for Kansas City, Kansas residents “who, because of theft, fire or loss of possessions, no longer have a valid state-issued ID or documents needed to prove their identity.

“It is nearly impossible for these individuals to obtain a state-issued ID. This is why we do not require documentation, as we are able to utilize our databases and other resources to verify identity for approximately 90% of those who apply.”

Ramirez’s ordinance blocking ICE facilities first goes to the county planning commission, then would have go through a UG board committee before being considered by the full board.

Ramirez posted a personal Facebook message Jan. 14, clearly referring to federal immigration enforcement, that “Fear is being used as a weapon. Communities like ours – diverse, working-class, and resilient – are being told that our neighbors are our enemies. We are made to believe that the person sitting next to us in church or standing beside us at work is a threat to our way of life.

“I’m here to tell you: that’s a lie. …

“My father and grandparents didn’t cross borders seeking handouts. They came in search of opportunity and gave everything to ensure their children and grandchildren could contribute to this community. That’s the story of so many families here. Now, watching the current climate of fear and scapegoating, I think about what they would say.”

Ramirez then posted what he termed “a call to action” – to essentially rise up against federal immigration enforcement.

“To our broader community – Black, white, Asian, Indigenous, all of us who call this metro home: we need you.” he wrote. “This isn’t just about one community under attack; it’s about all of us. When any of our neighbors are targeted, when any family lives in fear, when any worker is exploited because of their immigration status, it weakens the fabric of our community. Your voices, your support, and your willingness to stand alongside your neighbors matter now more than ever.”