During and after the 2025 Kansas legislative session, we are providing Johnson County lawmakers the opportunity to share their thoughts about what is happening in the state capitol.
The views expressed in each Capitol Update are solely those of the lawmaker. The topics are of the lawmakers’ choosing and are not fact-checked.
Below is a submission from Democratic Rep. Susan Ruiz, who represents Kansas House District 23, covering parts of Lenexa, Overland Park and Shawnee.
The Post earlier this week has published a Capitol Update from Republican Rep. Robyn Essex of Olathe and has extended an invitation to Republican Rep. Laura Williams of Lenexa to publish her thoughts later this week.
The cruelty is the point.
This is what came to mind when Project 2025 was written by the Heritage Foundation and other ultra-right conservative organizations became public before the last presidential election.
This is now playing out in real-time by the Trump administration. Project 2025 blasted open the door for mass deportation efforts without due process and the unlawful use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
It has been at least thirty years since the U.S. made significant changes to our immigration laws. We came close to changes during the Biden administration, but then-candidate Trump asked Congress to block those efforts because he wanted to run on this issue.
His followers heard racist ideologies, such as “they are taking our jobs,” “they are costing America millions and millions of dollars” and “they are soiling the blood of America.”
People listened to this hateful rhetoric over and over on social media. Again, the cruelty is the point.
Immigrants are all seen under the same rhetorical umbrella regardless of legal status.
The Kansas GOP this past session had their marching orders and fell right into place, falling all over themselves to introduce the worst bills and resolutions possible to impress the ultra-right.
During this year’s session, SCR1602 was passed, which encourages the governor to fully cooperate with federal enforcement of immigration laws. During discussion of this measure, five Latino Democratic representatives switched out with other Democrats on the Federal & State Affairs Committee, so that we could offer a different perspective on immigration and ask questions of the scheduled proponents.
Attorney General Kris Kobach was a no show and Chuck Weber, lobbyist for the Kansas Catholic Conference, was there but chose not to speak.
According to the Kansas Legislative Research Department, the following industries impact the Kansas economy in the following ways:
- 129 meat processors add over $29 billion and employ over 81,000 workers
- the 756 beef feedlots add over $20 billion and employ over 73,000 workers
- and the 123 dairy farms add over $2 billion and employ over 7,000 workers.
In 2024, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reported that undocumented immigrants paid $96 billion in federal taxes. This is tracked through the workers Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
The reality is the Kansas economy is dependent on immigrant workers regardless of legal status.
There have been many reports of ICE on the ground in southwestern Kansas, looking for undocumented individuals but without the use of a warrant, which is illegal.
Last week, ICE appeared at an apartment complex in my district with a list of names but no warrants.
Letters have been sent to immigrants telling them to “self-deport.” The problem is, many of those letters have been received by U.S born citizens.
Due to a lack of due process, these citizens will have to seek legal advice from an immigration lawyer.
There are allies across the state working to combat fear, confusion and cruelty. They inform the community about their rights regardless of legal status. These brave allies have received threats and have been followed home.
The cruelty is the point.
