Wyandotte County officials to consider ICE facility ban similar to what KC passed
A Wyandotte County commissioner is calling local officials to limit potential future efforts to build a federal immigration detention center in Kansas City, Kansas.
Christian Ramirez, who represents Wyandotte County’s Third District on the Unified Government Board of Commissioners, announced in a Wednesday morning statement that he plans to introduce an ordinance limiting special use permits on non-municipal detention centers until 2031.
The ordinance, which comes about a week after Kansas City officials across the state line approved a similar five-year moratorium, is specifically related to public concerns over increased activity among federal immigration enforcement in the Kansas City metro, he said.
Kansas City officials’ move followed reports of a potential U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility proposed for south Kansas City.
Were KCK authorities to mirror that rule, it would send a clear message to the federal government that Kansas’ most diverse county wants no part in its efforts to maximize arrests and deportations.
“Wyandotte County is home to generations of immigrant families who are essential to our local economy, culture and civic life,” Ramirez said in the statement. “Wyandotte County should not be used for detention expansion.”
He added that the county’s residents have been clear about what they want from their local government. On Tuesday, more than 100 students from Bishop Ward High School, and some Wyandotte High School students, walked out in protest of ICE activities happening locally, the Kansas City Defender reported.
“We want to invest in housing, education, economic opportunity and community safety; not detention facilities that create fear, destabilize neighborhoods and disproportionately harm immigrant families,” Ramirez said.
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK reviews — and approves or denies — the terms of incoming developers’ zoning and land use proposals. Included in that process is whether the government grants a special-use permit for a specific project, such as an ICE detention center.
Ramirez will first bring the ordinance to the county’s Planning Commission, where he hopes it will offer an opportunity for public engagement and expert review. If approved in committee, the ordinance would move through the committee process, go to a public comment hearing and eventually be considered for final approval by the full board. Ramirez said he will share additional information on future meeting dates and public engagement opportunities.
“As detention proposals move forward elsewhere in the region, it is important that Wyandotte County acts decisively,” he said. “This ordinance ensures our community is not positioned as an alternative location and affirms our commitment to protecting immigrant communities and preserving neighborhood stability.”
This story was originally published January 21, 2026 at 12:21 PM.
