Sen. Alicia Straub, a Republican from Ellinwood, expressed her endorsement of a Kansas Senate resolution aimed at urging Gov. Laura Kelly to pledge support to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in the form of Kansas National Guard troops and equipment. The resolution is part of an initiative to address the issue of illegal immigration at the southern border.
The Kansas Senate is moving forward with a resolution that states President Joe Biden has violated his oath of office by not enforcing federal immigration law. They also criticized Governor Laura Kelly for not providing state resources to assist Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his efforts to prevent unauthorized border crossings.
Despite facing criticism from colleagues in the Senate, Senator Mike Thompson, a Republican from Shawnee, was determined to pass a resolution expressing the concerns of the Kansas Legislature regarding illegal immigration. In addition, the resolution highlighted their disappointment with President Biden’s failure to adequately protect the southern border.
The Kansas House voted 80-40 in favor of a separate resolution called House Resolution 6035. This resolution proposed the deployment of National Guard Air or Army forces. On the other hand, Senate Resolution 1737, passed by the Senate, did not include similar language regarding troop deployment. However, Republican supporters of the Senate resolution emphasized that the Democratic governor should be ready to order troops to Texas if necessary.
According to Thompson, the governor of Kansas holds the position of the commander in chief of the National Guard. He emphasized that the governor has the power to deploy the Guard to the border for assistance, just like 12 other states have already done or pledged to do. Thompson expressed hope that if the situation calls for it, the governor would send the Guard to provide aid at the border.
‘National solution’
In October 2020, Governor Kelly made the decision to deploy 250 members of the Kansas National Guard to the Mexico-United States border. This deployment aimed to provide support to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. In 2022, she signed a bill that overturned city policies aimed at helping immigrants who wanted to stay in Kansas. Additionally, Governor Kelly urged supporters of sanctuary-city ordinances to put pressure on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration legislation.
“The responsibility for addressing our broken immigration system lies with Congress and cannot be resolved at the municipal level,” Kelly stated. “Both Republicans and Democrats in Washington have failed to tackle immigration issues for decades. What we need is a comprehensive national solution.”
Senate Minority Leader, Dinah Sykes, a Democrat from Lenexa, expressed her pride in the efforts of the men and women of the Kansas National Guard to enhance border protection. In a move of support for a border security bill endorsed by President Biden, Sykes proposed an amended version of Thompson’s resolution. It is worth noting that this bill has faced opposition from former President Donald Trump, who instructed congressional Republicans in Washington, D.C. to block the bipartisan measure.
According to Sykes, both Americans and Kansans are seeking solutions. He emphasizes that the bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate goes beyond finger-pointing and instead focuses on delving into the details to ensure a safer country.
Thompson called on his fellow colleagues to reject Sykes’ amendment, arguing that it would significantly change the overall message of the resolution, which blames Biden and Kelly for the immigration issues. Unfortunately, Sykes’ alternative version was ultimately defeated by a vote of 11-29.
‘Freedom is not free’
According to Sen. Alicia Straub, a Republican from Ellinwood, it is important for Kansas to offer assistance to Texas in managing the influx of migrants. She expressed disappointment that only half of the Senate members signed a letter pledging support for Governor Abbott, considering the significant number of requests from constituents asking for Kansas to support Texas.
“I know it may sound like a cliché, but the truth is that freedom comes at a price,” Straub emphasized. He further highlighted that each member of the legislative body had a chance to take a simple yet impactful action without any costs involved. This action entailed signing a letter urging the governor to provide aid, including the deployment of our National Guard troops.”
According to her, we should not approach the immigration issue from a partisan perspective. She believes that the United States is currently experiencing the most severe illegal immigration crisis in its history.
Senator John Doll, a Republican from Garden City, inquired about the impact of resolutions passed by the Kansas House or Senate on Texas. He highlighted that a group of cities in Kansas, including Manhattan, Salina, and Garden City, had sent resolutions to the Kansas Legislature, urging the passage of a bill to extend Medicaid health benefits to approximately 150,000 individuals from lower-income backgrounds, including adults and children. However, he pointed out that neither the House nor the Senate took any action in response to these resolutions.
Thompson expressed his confusion, stating, “I’m not sure I understand the connection.” He emphasized the importance of Governor Abbott recognizing the support of other states.
Doll pondered, “Are we simply wasting time with this resolution?”
The Kansas Senate has taken a significant step by advancing a resolution urging Governor Kelly to provide assistance to Texas in dealing with the increasing number of migrants. This development, reported by the Kansas Reflector, highlights the growing concern over the influx of migrants and the need for collaborative efforts to address this issue.