KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The presiding commissioners of Clay and Platte counties issued a joint letter over the weekend directed at Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas’ plan to welcome migrants into the city’s workforce.
Clay County’s Jerry Nolte and Platte County’s Scott Fricker crafted the letter to ask Lucas to “withdraw his offer of jobs and taxpayer-funded services to illegal immigrants from New York and other sanctuary cities.”
READ | Joint statement
Thus, both presiding commissioners are asking the KCMO City Council to advance Resolution 240412 out of committee for a vote in April by the full council.
Introduced by Councilman Nathan Willett, the resolution, if passed, would assure Kansas City would “not become a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants.”
The earliest the Special Committee for Legal Review could consider the resolution would be at the group’s meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Nolte and Fricker said they believe Lucas’ plan to bring migrant workers to KC would violate Missouri Sanctuary City Law, jeopardizing a "loss of state funding" that could affect public safety.
The pair also highlighted Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s letter to Lucas in their letter. Bailey claimed the mayor’s plan would encourage businesses to “become entangled in a fundamentally unlawful program.”
“Forcing these reckless and likely illegal policies will only increase criminal activity and endanger Northland families,” Nolte said in the letter.
RELATED | Mayor Lucas responds to Missouri attorney general’s comments on his migrant plan
Before the presiding commissioners published their thoughts, a spokesperson for Lucas shared a response Friday to AG Bailey’s letter.
"The State of Missouri controls policing in Kansas City. The only way Kansas City could ever become a so-called 'sanctuary city' is if the Missouri Legislature directs the police department to stop enforcing federal law, as the State tried and failed to do with the Second Amendment Preservation Act. Beyond that, Andrew Bailey’s letter is a political campaign press release with no legal effect, because, as he knows, he has no ability to supersede federal law. The mayor will continue to follow all state and federal laws while also building a Kansas City that welcomes all.”
Just a day before the above statement was made, Lucas said the city already has a system “where you have to be lawfully present to get a lawful work permit.” He said the migrant plan would be no different as it would bring workers to the city with lawful permits.
Nolte and Fricker, however, maintained in their letter they are concerned a “massive influx of migrants” would “increase the strain on an already serious housing crisis” as well as affect law enforcement, education, social services and health care systems.
But when Lucas first spoke on his plan, he said area businesses are looking for help. In a recent meeting he attended, he said he learned of $8 billion in upcoming infrastructure and construction projects along with the struggle of businesses to overcome staffing shortages.
“If you talk to businesses each and every day — whether it’s a restaurant, a school, a police department, so many others — they’re saying we want to make sure we’re bringing more workers here to Kansas City and the Kansas City metro region,” Lucas said.
Of the city’s approved $2.3 billion budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, which was approved last month, $1 million was set aside for a new refugee and immigrant services program.
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