Attorney General, legislative leaders urge Kelly to assist with border security

TOPEKA – (September 21, 2021) – Three senior Kansas leaders today asked Governor Laura Kelly to take seriously and honor a request from Texas and Arizona by sending public safety personnel to those border states to help with security.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt, Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Ron Ryckman called on the governor to send public safety personnel in response to the ongoing crisis at the southern border. In June, the governors of Texas and Arizona asked their fellow governors, including Kansas, to provide assistance under authority of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

Members of the Kansas congressional delegation wrote Kelly in June to encourage her to respond favorably to that request for assistance. To date, Kansas has not provided assistance in response to that request.

At least a half-dozen other states, including Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, have sent help. Assistance sent under the compact would help intercept and contain criminal activity, including drug smuggling, as close to the border as possible by enforcing criminal violations of state and federal law in Arizona and Texas.

“As the state’s chief law enforcement official and leaders of the Kansas Legislature, we do not think this situation is a ‘political game,’” the leaders wrote. “We encourage you to respond urgently and favorably to the Texas and Arizona request that Kansas assist them in addressing the public safety crisis caused by the federal government’s failure to secure our southern border. It is prudent to help the border states stop trans-national criminals before they reach Kansas and can cause harm in our communities and to our citizens.”

On Monday, half the nation’s governors requested an urgent meeting with President Biden to discuss the crisis at the southern border.

A copy of the letter can be found at https://bit.ly/3krdWn6.