Sen. Mike Thompson’s hearing on symbolic immigration legislation featured one-sided testimony with dehumanizing language and unfounded speculation. The hearing, which discussed a resolution to encourage Gov. Laura Kelly to cooperate with Trump administration immigration policies, included testimony from Attorney General Kris Kobach and a Kansas Bureau of Investigation official. Kobach suggested passing laws to require E-Verify for employers, deny in-state tuition to non-citizens, and allow local officers to enforce federal immigration laws.
Critics, including a nun who was initially denied the opportunity to testify, raised concerns about the misinformation and inflammatory language used during the hearing. The Southern Poverty Law Center has classified some sources cited as hate groups. Despite the lack of concrete data on the number of illegal immigrants in the state, testimonies suggested a link between immigrants and crime, including human trafficking and drug trafficking.
The hearing ended abruptly after objections were raised about the lack of notice given to the public. The nun later provided written testimony urging lawmakers to consider the humanity of immigrants and the impact of their rhetoric on these individuals.
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